Inside The Heat

Shaquille O'Neal Recalls When Miami Heat's Pat Riley Was Ruthless

Ethan J. Skolnick|
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Shaquille O'Neal arrives on the red carpet before the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Shaquille O'Neal arrives on the red carpet before the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

There's a sense that Miami Heat president Pat Riley has gotten a bit sentimental, maybe even soft, in his advanced age. That could be true; he is slower to make trades, quicker to wax poetically and whimsically even about conflicts with players in the past.

But one of those players, Shaquille O'Neal, recently recalled a time that Riley had little tolerance for tomfoolery.

While appearing on the Straight Game podcast with a couple of hosts who also played for the Heat, Mike Bibby and Eddie House, O'Neal recalled how his challenging of then-Heat coach Riley got him shown the door.

This was during the 2007-08 season, when Riley's patience with the Hall of Fame center had already worn thin. But consider, it also came after Riley traded for O'Neal (in 2004), watched O'Neal finish second in MVP voting (2005) and win a championship, the Heat's first at that time (2006).

After that title, O'Neal resumed some of his worst habits, not working as hard as Riley wanted and questioning decisions a few times too many. So Riley shipped him to the Phoenix Suns for a package that included forward Shawn Marion. O'Neal had limited success there, before bouncing to Cleveland and Boston for limited roles. O'Neal retired in 2011.

While the two have exchanged barbs since, much of the dirty water is now under the bridge. There have been hugs, a jersey retirement and other warm wishes.

RIley has similarly repaired relationships with Dwyane Wade and even, to an extent, LeBron James, over time. So will the same happen with Riley and Jimmy Butler, whom the Heat suspended multiple times before a trade to Golden State last season? Anything's possible, but that relationship seems the least salvageable.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

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