Heat Legend Clears Stance On Shaquille O’Neal After Work-Ethic Dig Gains Spotlight

The Hall of Fame ceremony this weekend served the ultimate opportunity for a Miami Heat reunion. We’re not talking the Big 3 when LeBron James shared the stage with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and more Redeem Team titans. Shaquille O’Neal also was not just there to celebrate Dwight Howard. He was there to prove he’s buried more than one feud when past Miami Heat players were in the room for Micky Arison, who was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Arison spoke about that first championship and the start of the Heat Culture led by powerhouse leaders in Shaq and Alonzo Mourning, and enabled by rookies like D-Wade and Udonis Haslem. The weekend has passed but the reunion feelings still linger.

Alonzo Mourning made the trip from Miami to Springfield for Micky Arison. And here he got to hang out with his old teammates, D-Wade, who’s now an LA resident, and Shaq, who’s everywhere. Seeing the ’06 championship stars in one frame left Heat Nation on social media in their feelings.

Always a man of fine words, Zo amplified those feelings by sharing the same picture with O’Neal and Wade and a heartfelt message. “Always good seeing these two men @dwyanewade and @shaq . We’ve created a bond and some of the best moments in Heat History. Truly a blessing to share the floor with them both. #HEATNATION.”

Among the fans getting sentimental about the trio, D-Wade reciprocrated the love commenting, “Love you Big Zo!” 

Shaq was silent on Zo’s post. Nothing out of the ordinary for him. O’Neal mended his friendship with Mourning before they won the championship together. But he only talks about Zo on podcasts and it’s always the same story. But it never gets boring to hear how his friendship with one of his biggest rivals has grown.

Shaq and Alonzo Mourning have come a long way

When Shaquille O’Neal arrived in the NBA in 1992, he had zeroed in on one rival. Alonzo Mourning had a Big Diesel-sized target on his back from the second he split the Rookie of the Year votes. In 1996, Zo had signed a $105 million contract with the Miami Heat. Knowing he was better than Miami’s new recruit, O’Neal wanted to outdo his rival’s contract. Orlando refused to match Shaq’s demands and he went to LA on a $120 million contract.

After three championships, O’Neal came to Miami with a lot of inhibitions about playing with Alonzo Mourning, a guy he decided he didn’t like for a decade. When they first formed a team, Shaq apologized to Zo for festering that one-sided beef. He went as far as to call himself a “hypocrite.” Mourning was receptive and they went on to form one of the most underrated duos in Miami history.

But they had their fair share of differences as teammates. Especially when Pat Riley paraded Zo shirtless to motivate Shaq into getting into shape. While on the Straight Game Podcast recently, O’Neal revealed how he reacted to one of those times.

“We all know Pat is a stat guy. So one day he brought Alonzo Mourning and me into the office,” Shaq said. “He [Riley] said, ‘Alonzo, take your shirt off.’ And Alonzo was built like a He-Man doll, right? He’s like, ‘I need you to look like this.’ And I was like, oh, motherf—er look good. But then I pulled out my piece of paper on his a–. I said, ‘But let me tell you something. This is how much I average on. 39, 17, and 4. I said he got the six-pack and all that. I like to eat burgers. But this is what I average on him. I’m not doing that.’ So he didn’t like the fact that I would stand up to him.”

That was the most Shaq response. For what it’s worth, it didn’t affect his friendship with Zo. And they maintained their statistical rivalry for as long as they were teammates and have that banter even today.

The Hall of Fame reunion was long overdue to see all of the ’06 legends in one place. Now if only Shaq threw fans a bone.

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