Shaquille O’Neal was a walking menace on the court. Teams would throw 3 or 4 men on the big man to stop him, but he demolished them with his brute strength. His addition to any lineup was enough to make that team a championship contender. Agility, footwork, strength, and a comprehensive arsenal of low-post moves. When he put his mind to it, he was practically unstoppable in the painted area.

Shaq got his hands on several accolades throughout his storied career. His rings collection was likely his most spectacular of those honors since he lifted 4 NBA championships. The historic three-peat with the Lakers, where he commanded the LA ship, was followed by another title with the Miami Heat.

However, he took on a secondary role, as Miami already had a budding star in Dwayne Wade. It was a delight to witness two of the most aggressive and fierce competitors perform their mojo next to each other. It’s no surprise that the Miami Heat, armed with two formidable titans, dominated the NBA in 2005-06.

Shaquille O’Neal embraced the secondary role and passed the torch to Dwayne Wade

Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, in their second season together, lifted the NBA gold. The Heat lost to the Detroit Pistons in Eastern Conference Finals the previous season. However, with Pat Riley taking over the helm in Miami, he ushered in a winning atmosphere.

Riley led the Miami Heat to a 52-30 regular season record and a second-seed finish. Shaq and Wade dominated the postseason, eventually reaching the NBA Finals to confront Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

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Echoing Old School NBA Fans, Shaquille O’Neal Slams LeBron James for the Biggest Decision of His Career

The Heat trailed 0-2 before winning the series in 6 games and clinching the franchise’s maiden championship. Wade spearheaded his team to victory and was named Finals MVP, averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals. Shaq, on the other hand, put up 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds.

Shaq appeared on ESPN’s Quite Frankly with Stephan A. Smith after winning his fourth championship. The analyst highlighted how the big man embraced his role and was simply “watching” his co-star dismantle the Mavs.

To this, Shaq said, “There comes a time in every great player’s career where they have to pass the torch. And me at the tender age of 34, when you got a guy that young and that spectacular, I think it would’ve been foolish of me to try to average 40 points a game when you have somebody like that.”

“So, basically what I did was, I just passed the torch to a humble guy. You know, a lot of people asked me to compare my three and I gave my Godfather answer. One is like Alfredo, one is like Sonnu and one is like Michael. So what did the Godfather do? What did I do? I made Dwayne an offer he couldn’t refuse, “ Shaq said, impersonating Vito Corleone from The Godfather.

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Shaq then spoke like a real mentor, praising Wade’s humility, and said it’s his responsibility to keep pushing him to the next level.

This was another tremendous milestone for Shaquille O’Neal to add to his legendary resume. However, for Dwayne Wade, this was the dawn of an enduring legacy. The dynamic guard went on to win two more championships with the franchise and is a lock for Hall of Fame induction.