Shaquille O’Neal says his Heat championship trumps his Lakers titles

It’s been 20 years since the Miami Heat won their first championship, and the bonds forged during that time are unbroken, despite the team not being together since. Monday night was their exclusive party honoring the achievement, and then they commemorated the year at the Heat versus Hawks game.

It was all or nothing that year after previously blowing Game 7 at home to the Detroit Pistons, and it started in roller-coaster fashion in major part because of Shaquille O’Neal’s left ankle injury in game two. Pat Riley later replaced coach Stan Van Gundy six weeks into the season after not looking at a playbook for two years, and they finished with a 52-30 record. They defeated Chicago, New Jersey and Detroit before moving on to the Finals against Dallas, and subsequently found themselves in an 0-2 crater.

The situation looked bleak as the series shifted to Miami. One of the behind-the-scenes moments that changed the course of history was O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning picking up Dwyane Wade for a car ride, where they talked about what needed to be done. They followed up by winning the title in Dallas on the day Pat Riley said they would.

Asked @dwyanewade and @shaq about the 2006 Heat champions not getting much credit @5ReasonsSports pic.twitter.com/tdEGDEiccy
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) February 4, 2026

Coach Erik Spoelstra, who was Riley's assistant then, said pre-game that he wanted his team to see how special the relationships are and for them to imagine that 20 years from now.

O’Neal and Wade also spoke to the press, recalling the good times. When asked how they feel about that team not getting as much recognition nationally, Wade said he didn’t care, and O’Neal said, “People in Miami know what time it is.”

Yet, O’Neal, who won three consecutive titles with the Los Angeles Lakers added that the 2006 chip was favorite. He felt extreme pressure to deliver, and at one point accepted that Wade had to be the guy, a recommendation from Gary Payton. That was no easy task for a former MVP.

It helped tremendously that the Mavericks double-teamed O’Neal like he was still in his prime on the Lakers. His post passing, which Riley once said was the best he had in a big man, created breakdowns, and Flash assaulted the lane, averaging 34.7 points per game.

Without that ring, Riley and O’Neal’s legacies would have been negatively affected and the culture would not have been the same.

“We never not got along, O’Neal said. “That’s what made us special.