The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of legendary coach Pat Riley earlier this week, honoring the man who created Showtime and led them to four NBA titles in the 1980s. And, unlike some other recent NBA statues that shall not be named, this one was actually a fantastic likeness of the man.
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Riley is one of the very best to ever do it, not only for what he accomplished with the Lakers, but for everything he has done with the Heat for more than three decades. He coached the Heat to their first title in 2006, then later presided over two more rings and four other Finals appearances as team president.
For better or worse, Riley has always had a reputation as a no-nonsense guy. He famously butted heads with LeBron James in Miami, eventually leading to the 4 time NBA champion going back to Cleveland. But before that, he clashed with Shaquille O’Neal on multiple occasions.
On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Big Diesel was talking about his former Heat teammate Jason Williams, a.k.a White Chocolate. Shaq revealed that back in 2008, he stood up for Williams, and less than 24 hours later, Riley retaliated by trading him to the Phoenix Suns.
“I got traded because of [Williams],” Shaq said. “He was late, and then Pat was like, ‘Get out,’ and I was like, ‘Nope, Jason stays,’ and Pat said, ‘You get out,’ and I said, ‘Well, m***********, put me out.’ That happened by 12, I was traded by 11:30 the next day.”
This happened less than two years after Shaq had teamed with Dwyane Wade to win the 2006 title. He, however, doesn’t believe he could have gotten another ring with the Heat had he continued in Miami. Riley had changed the team so much. “Pat got rid of all my players,” said O’Neal.
After leaving Miami, Shaq played a year-and-a-half in Phoenix, a year in Cleveland, and a year in Boston before retiring in 2011 without winning another ring. Wade and Riley won two more after LeBron and Chris Bosh came to town. They lost the Finals to the Mavericks in 2011, then beat the Thunder and Spurs in 2012 and 2013, before San Antonio got revenge on them in 2014 and essentially ended their run.
Shaq has always been known as a guy who has his teammates’ backs. And though Riley is set in his ways, his success is undeniable, too. Sometimes when big personalities come together, greatness follows, but oftentimes, there’s friction.
And that friction led to a big, literally overnight, change for Shaq. One day, you are winning a title, and the next, you’re in Phoenix and changing your name to Big Cactus.
Despite the trade, Shaq has no ill will towards Riley. In a video to congratulate him for his statue, he told the story of the time he chased Riley in practice, only to be shocked when the legendary coach stood his ground and faced him. He concluded the video by saying, “Congratulations, coach, I love you.”
