Similar to his unceremonious split with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal’s tenure with the Miami Heat also came to a bitter end. The Diesel’s relationship with head coach Pat Riley quickly deteriorated near the end of his time in South Beach. The last straw for the big man was Riley accusing him of faking his injury during a tough period in his life.
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However, it wasn’t until Shaq started his stint with the Phoenix Suns that he found out what his former coach-turned-GM had said about his ailment. According to his memoir, Shaq Uncut, it was then Suns general manager, Steve Kerr, who broke the news to him.
Shaq was still dealing with his lingering injury after Phoenix made the move for him, but Riley apparently believed the whole situation was concocted by the four-time NBA Champion to avoid playing for Miami.
“Pat started telling people that ‘he’s faking it, he’s getting a divorce, we’ve got a bad record, so he doesn’t feel like playing anymore.’ When I got to Phoenix, the general manager there, Steve Kerr, told me Riley said I was ‘faking’ the injury. I heard it other places, too,” the big man said.
Considering the pair’s previously close-knit relationship, Shaq was taken aback by the Godfather’s crude comments. O’Neal felt that the Heat President could have handled the situation much differently by simply approaching him and talking face-to-face.
“I’m not going to lie. It stung me. If he had just pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, this isn’t working anymore. It’s time for you to go,’ we could have talked business. We could have avoided all the ugly shit that’s gone down since then,” the 19-year veteran added.
To be fair, Riley’s comments about Shaq faking the injury was probably a ploy to get Phoenix to sign the big fella. But the Miami Heat legend should have still consulted with Shaq before making such a play. The treatment O’Neal received after bringing the Heat their first-ever NBA Championship was unwarranted.
The public tension with Riley, his deteriorating relationship with co-star Dwyane Wade, and his own faltering production, all combined to create an ugly departure for O’Neal. His pending divorce with ex-wife, Shaunie, and his continued health issues also didn’t help remedy the situation, eventually making a trade the certainty.
Shaq’s off-court issues took a toll on him
While the physical effect of injuries is always prevalent, athletes often don’t share how much of a mental toll they take. Shaq shared in his book how much his injury was burdening him, prompting him to break down and reach out to Alonzo Mourning for advice. The star big man was frustrated and angered by Riley’s treatment of him despite serving as the team’s co-captain.
Riley’s slanderous comments proved to be the breaking point for the pair’s relationship. He lambasted Riley for lying about him. Shaq would go on to return to form in Phoenix, putting together another All-Star campaign at the age of 36.
