Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His influence in the late 1990s and early 2000s cannot be overlooked. Shaq entered the new millennium with a three-peat, alongside Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. However, due to interpersonal issues, Kobe and Shaq were unable to coexist in Los Angeles.
When Shaq moved in 2004, he was still at the prime of his abilities; therefore, many teams were keen to acquire the services of a 7’1” center. But because The Diesel selected Miami, the Lakers had no choice but to send him there. Shaq had learned his lesson during a difficult time in Los Angeles when he was traded.
O’Neal spoke with Dwayne Wade as soon as he joined the Heat, reassuring him that he is still the Alpha. Shaq assured Wade that he is willing to do everything it takes to help the team win. “This Your Team, You the Man,” Shaq said to Wade during the first conversation he had with him.
Things worked well not only for the Heat but also for Shaq, as O’Neal left his ego at the door. Miami finished the season with the best record in the East (59 wins) and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Shaq made an All-Star, an All-NBA First Team selection, and was the runner-up in MVP voting to Steve Nash.
Dwayne Wade revealed Shaquille O’Neal was the driving force to turn his career around
Wade told Insider while promoting his memoir that O’Neal instilled confidence in him by assuring him he would become one of the greatest guards ever to play. “To have that guy tell me that I’m going to be one of the greatest,” Wade added, “that’s a huge compliment.”
Wade was young and fresh and had yet to win a title when O’Neal got traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat. O’Neal used the same strategies he used with a young Kobe Bryant within the Los Angeles Lakers to pressure Wade as he possessed three championships.
Wade and O’Neal’s collaboration soon gained momentum. In their first year together, the Heat suffered an Eastern Conference Finals defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons in 2004–05. The very next year Wade took over in Games 5 and 6 as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.
Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t as dominant in Miami as he was in Los Angeles, but he was still an excellent No. 2 option for Dwyane Wade. The pair notably never clashed during their time together, with Shaquille O’Neal telling Dwyane Wade that the Miami Heat were his team. Wade and O’Neal had fantastic chemistry, as seen by their 2006 championship title.