Pat Riley: 'Shaq acquisition bigger than any Lebron'

[Spectrum]

So a past his prime Shaq was a bigger acquisition than Prime Lebron that took them to 4 straight Finals' appearances?

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...s-shaquille-oneal-was-bigger-get-lebron-james

Step aside, LeBron.

Team president Pat Riley says Hall of Fame inductee Shaquille O'Neal stands as the most significant prize the Miami Heat have landed during his 21-year tenure with the team.

"I'll say this, and I mean this," Riley told the South Florida Sun Sentinelrecently. "Shaq's acquisition was bigger than any acquisition that we ever made, including the Big Three."

Alonzo Mourning arrived in Miami with Riley in 1995 and helped redirect the fortunes of a floundering expansion franchise.

A generation passed before the Heat played in four straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014 with the superteam of LeBron James, Chris Bosh andDwyane Wade, winning two titles.




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But it was O'Neal -- not James, not Bosh, not Wade, not Mourning -- who gave the Heat the biggest piece of the puzzle, Riley said.

"Zo was big, but getting Shaquille changed everything for our franchise," Riley said, according to the Sun Sentinel.

O'Neal came to the Heat in a July 2004 trade that sent Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick to theLos Angeles Lakers.

O'Neal and Wade went on to lead Miami on a short-lived run in which they captured the 2006 NBA Finals in six games over theDallas Mavericks.

O'Neal, along with Allen Iverson, highlights a 10-member class that will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"The seminal moment to really make us really, really legitimate," Riley said of the O'Neal deal. "He turned our franchise around. He gave us real legitimacy."

 

[TheDynasty]

Dude is still salty over LeBron and throwing some shade at Wade.

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

It happens to most crackers when they get a certain age, their minds start slipping. Nothing to see here folks!

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

That makes sense. Yep, makes sense why he's a salty ass cracker.

 

[pollux]

Sounds like Riley made it personal, instead of keeping it business. His quote reeks of saltiness of losing Wade and LBJ.

 

[D'Evils]

Don't worry it's part of the plan to kiss Shaq's ass and squash their beef since they plan on retiring his jersey this up coming season.

He'll be kissing Wade's and LeBron ass when the time come to retire their jerseys too.

Politics as usual

 

[SIDESHOW]

 

[World B Free]

I didn't know Riley was so petty.....

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

Don't worry it's part of the plan to kiss Shaq's ass and squash their beef since they plan on retiring his jersey this up coming season.

He'll be kissing Wade's and LeBron ass when the time come to retire their jerseys.

Isn't he 90? Does he have the time to play the long game?

 

[donwuan]

It's kinda true tho. The heat wasn't even a franchise until Shag joined Wade. Ticket sales and gear started moving. I don't think I've ever seen a heat jersey before that.

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

I didn't know Riley was so petty.....

Is he white?

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

It's kinda true tho. The heat wasn't even a franchise until Shag joined Wade. Ticket sales and gear started moving. I don't think I've ever seen a heat jersey before that.

Hilarious

 

[World B Free]

Is he white?

Jay, only white folks are petty? I think that's a general human trait.

 

[ballscout1]

I didn't know Riley was so petty.....

Don't forget Riley played for that racist crakka Adolph Rupp at Kentucky and they became the first team to lose a National Championship to Texas Western who started five black players.

 

[World B Free]

Don't forget Riley played for that racist crakka Adolph Rupp at Kentucky and they became the first team to lose a National Championship to Texas Western who started five black players.

hmmmm...didn't know that, I bet he was saying "*******" on regular basis being with that racist Rupp.

 

[World B Free]

Pat in the foreground and Rupp in the background

 

[World B Free]

 

[DjMorpheus]

Cracka STILL mad. Realize he ain't gettin no mo rings.

 

[Bluelaser]

Sounds like he has sour grapes.
He thought he had these players by the balls in the same manner that some of these record companies have with their artist.

 

[gdatruth]

Obviously he still mad at Bron but he does kind of have a point. Getting Shaq and going to two finals winning one made Miami a premier destination. Shaq and that run also helped catapult wade into true Superstar status. Without those things happening there would be no Big 3.

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

Jay, only white folks are petty? I think that's a general human trait.

Pettiness is not only a white disease. You are completely right.

But what pat sad is white pettiness: it always comes with condescension. It's snark.

 

[sammyjax]

"Take that, you white honky."

 

[Art Vandelay]

It's kinda true tho. The heat wasn't even a franchise until Shag joined Wade. Ticket sales and gear started moving. I don't think I've ever seen a heat jersey before that.

It's definitely a fair point. People are tripping. He may believe no Shaq would mean no big three.

 

[nu_work]

Dude is still salty over LeBron and throwing some shade at Wade.

That's what cacs do

 

[stretchwallz]

He's bitter...

Shaq changed the culture for basketball in Miami. Bron added to the culture Shaq established

 

[Coldchi]

that cac is Dead Sea salty.....

 

[therealjondoe]

Shaq brought that first ring

 

[BDR]

Shaq brought that first ring

No Wade bought that first ring.. Shaq and then was along for the ride

Either way fuck Riley

 

[BrownTurd]

It happens to most crackers when they get a certain age, their minds start slipping. Nothing to see here folks!

What he said is true. Shaq was his first major piece that turned Miami from a expansion team to a title winning organization.

 

[BrownTurd]

No Wade bought that first ring.. Shaq and then was along for the ride

Either way fuck Riley

Shaq took the Heat from an expansion team house hold name. No one knew who Wade was at the time

 

[jasonblacc]

It's kinda true tho. The heat wasn't even a franchise until Shag joined Wade. Ticket sales and gear started moving. I don't think I've ever seen a heat jersey before that.

Ding

 

[jasonblacc]

It's definitely a fair point. People are tripping. He may believe no Shaq would mean no big three.

Without Shaq the last time pat could say he won something was in the 80's

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

What he said is true. Shaq was his first major piece that turned Miami from a expansion team to a title winning organization.

4 finals in 4 years... stop it bruh...

 

[Art Vandelay]

No Wade bought that first ring.. Shaq and then was along for the ride

Either way fuck Riley

I think if this statement should be an offense to anybody, it's Wade, not LeBron.

The biggest acquisition in Miami Heat history is obviously drafting Dwayne Wade. Then the Alonzo Mourning trade that kept them relevant for a decade. Then the LeBron and Bosh acquisitions and then Shaq. I can see the logic in flipping the last two but what is really ridiculous is to claim that acquiring Shaq was bigger than drafting Wade in the first place or trading for Mourning, who was clearly the most important player in franchise history before Wade came along and is still #2 IMO. (Ranking the top 5 Heat players of all-time would be an interesting thread.)

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

You Dudes must be 12 years old or some shit with the bullshit I'm reading! The Heat might not have won a chip but they were far from non-existent or a D-League team their entire history before Shaq came. They got an old ass Shaq, not a prime Shaq who compared to his real years was pedestrian his time in Miami. Anybody who even tries to rationalize this dumb ass statement is not real bright...


4 finals in 4 years... FOH!!!