Convinced Pat Riley Spied on Heat Players, Shaquille O’Neal Also Claimed the Legendary Coach was a Dictator in 2004: “Got to Do What he Says”

After winning 3 back to back NBA titles with the LA Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal wound up at the Miami Heat in 2004, under the tutelage of their legendary coach and president Pat Riley. Riley won 5 championships for the Heat during his tenure as a coach and famously demanded a lot from his players. This was traditionally against the way Shaquille O’Neal operated. In his book, Shaq Uncut, O’Neal revealed that Riley was almost like a dictator, and forced him to tone down in order to play in his team. Shaq, who was already convinced Riley used to spy on him and other Heat players, claimed in an interview that he had “got to do as he was told.” 

Riley’s demands included 10 percent body fat for his Centers, and Shaq had played with 18 percent body fat his entire career. Despite his huge previous success in the NBA, O’Neal was forced to listen and bow down to Riley’s demands during his time at the Heat.

Shaquille O’Neal showed up for Miami Heat training with 16% body fat

Pat Riley had apparently been immensely specific about his body fat demands when it came to his players. While guards were expected to have 6% body fat, guards were allowed 7-8% body fat, while Centers, generally the hugest players on the team, were given leeway for 10%.

While O’Neal worked hard in the 2004 offseason, he still showed up with 16% body fat. Just as Shaq feared, that was something Riley had a huge problem with:

“Even with all that work, I showed up to Miami in October 2004 with 16 percent percent body fat. Pat didn’t fine me but he did call me into his office. I told him, “Hey, look, I’m trying. I’m on the damn treadmill all day long. I’m working at this, I’ll do what it takes, but I’ve never been that low before.” I’m trying to also work into the conversation that I’ve been pretty successful at 18 percent body fat, but he’s not listening. He’s a dictator and he wants to do it his way, so I’m avoiding confrontation by yessing him to death. Yes, okay, whatever you say. The media asked me about Riley and I said, ‘He’s the president. I’m the general. Unless I want to get impeached, I’ve got to do what he says.'”

Shaq was forced to work hard and compared Pat Riley to a dictator. This was, of course, just one of the qualms that O’Neal had during his time at the Miami Heat.

O’Neal was convinced Pat Riley had spies behind him

Riley had a habit of keeping tabs on his players. Shaquille O’Neal’s whereabouts can prove to be easily accessible information for someone as determined as Pat Riley.

Speaking in his book, Shaq claimed that Riley always knew where he was the night before. The Heat coach would question O’Neal the next day and would have exact details about the time and place of his visits.

This led to a lingering suspicion for O’Neal that Riley had spies behind his players. While that may or may not be true, the fact that Riley was the true leader behind the scenes was never in doubt.