Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were a force to reckon when they played together. They won 3 championships together for the Los Angeles Lakers. While Kobe Bryant ended his career with the team he won the most with, Shaquille O’Neal went on to play for a few others

Miami Heat is one of the teams, where Shaq appeared, post his Lakers era. When the Heat acquired Shaq in a trade deal, he struck gold with a young player named Dwyane Wade. 

In a recent interview, Dwyane Wade revealed the real reason why Shaquille O’Neal joined the Miami franchise in 2004. According to Wade, it was a friendly competition with former teammate Kobe Bryant, which drove Shaq to join the Miami Heat.

Dwyane Wade reveals why Shaquille O’Neal joined Miami

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant formed the duo which led the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004. Dubbed as the best duo since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, O’Neal and Bryant won 3 NBA championships together.

Dwyane Wade talked about the 2006 Miami Heat team and Shaquille O’Neal in a recent interview. He said, “Shaq man, he was just so amazing for me as a young kid who he did not know, he didn’t have any prior relationship with. He [Shaq] wanted to come to Miami to win a championship, he wanted to get another championship before Kobe. Everyone knows this. And I was probably the one he looked at and deemed said this the one that can help me.“

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Shaq joins the Miami Heat

O’Neal signed a five-year contract with the Heat after a trade that sent Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He went on to form the formidable duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade which led the Miami Heat to the NBA championship in 2006. A perfect mix of youth and experience struck gold for the Heat as they dominated the entire season and earned a well-deserved title.

The Dwyane Wade-Shaquille O’Neal Duo

Miami reached the 2004-05 eastern conference finals but lost out narrowly to the Detroit Pistons. Shaq averaged 23 points and 10.4 rebounds while Dwyane Wade averaged 24 points and 5 rebounds that season. (Source:ESPN)

It all came together the following season. The Miami Heat dominated the entire season and went on to clinch the NBA title. It was the first championship for a young Dwyane Wade while Shaquille O’Neal got his fourth.

During an interview with Business Insider, Wade mentioned, “I caught Shaquille O’Neal at the right time in his career.” Although the Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh partnership is the one etched in the memory of Heat fans, the Dwyane Wade and O’Neal duo has placed their name in the history books.

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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal in a Miami Heat jersey? Let us know in the comments below.