Shaquille O’Neal dominated the NBA for 19 seasons, playing for a variety of different teams. From 1992 to 2011, the Big Diesel played for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics. However, his most iconic stints came with the Lakers and the Heat, thanks to the Championship success he had with them. Recently, Shaq took to Instagram to share a list of the greatest Heat players of all time. And despite the list ranking him below three other players, he seems to be content with the outcome.
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Similar to this, Shaq shared a list of the greatest Lakers players a while back. There too, he was ranked fourth, falling behind the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Nevertheless, Shaq was again content with where he was placed, having won three NBA Championships with the Purple and Gold.
Shaquille O’Neal is content with being placed fourth on the list of greatest Miami Heat players
The Miami Heat is one of the most successful organizations in the NBA, and as such, there have been many great players to rock their colors. Joining the Miami Heat in 2004, the Big Aristotle spent four seasons in South Beach. In that time, he managed to secure his fourth championship ring, helping the Heat to their first in 2006. He also managed a cool 19 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game, playing second fiddle to Dwyane Wade.
Coincidentally, D-Wade is the player who finished first on the list as expected. With three championships to his name, he is undoubtedly the greatest Heat player of all time. A close second is, of course, LeBron James, who was notoriously the leader of the Heatles. And, finally in third place, just above Shaq is Alonzo Mourning, who spent 11 seasons with the Heat and was also a part of the 2006 championship team.
“thanks i’ll take it appreciate it,” Shaq wrote in the caption, after sharing the post.
At the end of the day, fourth place is respectable, especially considering the fact that Shaq’s prime was spent in LA. That being said, there are some players on the current Heat roster who could one day surpass the big fella, Jimmy Butler being a prime candidate. We will have to wait and see if Shaq will be content a few years down the line.
Shaq looked at the Miami Heat roster and knew he had to take a backseat
When Shaquille O’Neal joined the Miami Heat in 2004, he came in as a superstar, a player who was used to being the face of a franchise. However, after analyzing the Heat roster and having a conversation with fellow legend Gary Payton, he realized he needed to take a backseat. Why? Because he knew Dwyane Wade needed to be calling the shots.
Safe to say it was a wise decision on Shaq’s part. With D-Wade at the helm, he was able to secure his fourth championship in 2006. And, at the same time, he put Wade on the path to becoming an all-time great, just like him.
