Shaquille O'Neal reveals his lone Miami Heat championship was his favorite, forged by a group of "misfits" overcoming immense pressure.
Despite the 125-117 loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, the Miami Heat honored the 2006 championship-winning team, celebrating its 20th-anniversary. It was a unique time in franchise history: Dwyane Wade was in his third year in the league, Shaquille O'Neal sought to win a fourth championship before Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, and Alonzo Mourning returned after a cut-short stint with the New Jersey Nets.
The Heat have fallen short of reaching basketball glory in years prior, but getting over the hump on June 20, 2006, would establish the rest of the franchise's history. On Tuesday, O'Neal revealed that his lone championship with the Heat is his favorite.
"Because we were not supposed to win," he said. "It was one that I was pressured to win. I needed to get number four [championships] before the other guy [Bryant] got his fourth. For me, I had a whole bunch of emotions going through my head."
The 2006 roster featured other veterans who were in the later stages of their careers, such as Jason Williams, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Derek Anderson, and Shandon Anderson.
"We were a bunch of misfits that used to argue, fight, and do things untraditionally," O'Neal added. "We never not gotten along and that's what made us special. I've been on teams where you call a guy out on the paper and you don't talk to him for a month. We would have fist fights in the locker room.
"We probably had about 40 fights."
The Hall of Fame center was known for his dominance, especially on the Lakers, and having won three consecutive championships. However, O'Neal was 32 years old after officially joining the Heat. There was a steady decline in production year by year, but the presence of the former three-time Finals MVP was always felt.
O'Neal averaged 13.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in the 2006 Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. The numbers don't compare to the championship years with the Lakers, but the impact was nearly the same.
Wade was the biggest hero in delivering the Heat their first-ever championship, averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and one block against the Mavericks. The Hall of Fame guard later became the greatest player in franchise history.
The 2012 and 2013 championships are flashier, given all the superstars involved, but 2006 was the tone setter for all the winning habits now established for the Heat.
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