Shaq joined Heat 16 years ago today. The day before he helped a stranded driver in Fla.
Shaquille O’Neal had eight words for Heat fans during his first visit to Miami in 2004.
“Buy tickets and be ready for what’s next,” he said.
Oh, how right he was. Tuesday marks 16 years since the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaq to the Heat and judging off his introductory sentence, it’s safe to say he didn’t disappoint. For those in need of a refresher, what came next was this ...
and this ...
and whole lot of this.
Looking back, the trade that sent Shaq to Miami worked out for both sides. The Lakers got Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom as well as a couple picks, one of which turned into Jordan Farmar, in exchange for Big Diesel. Odom and Farmar played key roles during the Lakers’ back-to-back championships in the late 2000s while Shaq helped bring the Heat its first title.
Shaq’s per-game averages might’ve dipped during his three and a half seasons with the Heat, but his résumé only improved. The Hall of Famer’s time in Miami can best be viewed through his three consecutive All-Star appearances, two consecutive seasons leading the league in field-goal percentage, two All-NBA first team honors and the shine of his fourth ring. Not bad for someone on the tail end of his prime.
In the 16 years since Shaq’s trade to Miami, the four-time champion has become even more of an international star. Both the Lakers and Heat have retired his jerseys but it’s his off-the-court life as a NBA analyst on TNT, a DJ and the star of his own television series that has been his biggest money-maker as of late.
Most recently, O’Neal made headlines when he stopped to help a driver who got into an accident in Northern Florida. The video, posted Tuesday morning by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, has since racked up thousands of views on Facebook.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 5:42 PM.
