During his time with the Miami Heat, Shaquille O’Neal managed to win a championship, but it seems that there was some friction between him and the then-head coach of the South Beach franchise, Pat Riley. Known for his abrasive approach to basketball, O’Neal has been involved in multiple disputes throughout his career. One such incident revolved around O’Neal and fellow star player Gary Payton.
O’Neal has since recounted how both he and Payton were traded away from the Heat. This happened partially because the two players would often ignore Riley’s play calls during games and instead run their own plays together, which often led to poor possessions. Consequently, O’Neal spent three and a half seasons with the Heat before eventually joining the Phoenix Suns.
Talking about the trade, O’Neal explained, “They got rid of me and Gary in Miami because Gary and I were the only ones that really didn’t listen to Pat.” He added that when Riley would call a play, Gary would often say, “I’m not running that. I’m going to throw the ball to Shaq.” Gary would then take the ball and pass it to Shaq, who would get doubled and forced to kick it.
While their on-court chemistry might have caused some turbulence with their coach, the decision to trade both players seemingly proved beneficial for all parties. In the end, O’Neal and Payton’s time at the Miami Heat proved to be eventful, but also a testament to the players’ undeniable talent and dedication to the game.
