“That’s me & Gary’s s**t” – Shaquille O'Neal takes credit for establishing ‘Heat Culture’
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the first players for the Miami Heat that instilled a winning culture during his tenure with the team. Together with some veteran players, they took their opportunity back in 2006 and won the Larry O'Brien trophy to solidify their careers in the NBA.
In 2006, Shaq was teamed up with Gary Payton for a second time in their careers in an attempt to win a title. Luckily for them, the heroics of Dwyane Wade helped the franchise win its first title against the Dallas Mavericks after mounting a comeback in the NBA Finals.
Little did anyone know that there was more to the Heat's incredible championship run. According to O'Neal, he and Payton were responsible for imparting the "Heat Culture" mindset to the franchise.
"That's me and Gary's s**t, ain't no 'Heat Culture.' Me and Gary did that. Me, Gary, Alonzo [Mourning], D-Wade and Jason [Williams], that's our s**t." O'Neal said.
“We started that. We started the Miami Heat winning championships.”
@GaryPayton and @SHAQ on "Heat Culture" 🔥 https://t.co/vBbzCK2J9p
Payton backed up O'Neal's claims and mentioned that due to their iconic championship run, the Heat became a championship-minded team.
"If you go back in 2006, who won the first championship for the Miami Heat? We did. 'Cause when Pat [Riley] got there, he brought us all together. They thought we were problem childs and next thing you know, we put it together. We started that. We started the Miami Heat winning championships." Payton added.
Whether the term "Heat Culture" was coined because of their title win, there's no denying that they started something big in Miami.
Since then, the Heat have added two more titles and have been in the Finals six times. The team is looking forward to winning their fourth championship after falling short back in 2020 when they lost against the LA Lakers.
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Shaquille O'Neal wasn't happy with a top-10 list he saw where he was number 10
Shaquille O'Neal loves a good fan interaction and his social media accounts could often be seen communicating with fans. Recently, he tweeted a photo with the ten best players of all time, which included himself and his former teammate, the late Kobe Bryant.
Upon sharing it, he wasn't too pleased with where he was placed on the list. The four-time champion was number ten, while Bryant was at number nine, which didn't sit well with him.
"Y’all agree with this? I DON’T.. KOBE #9 and me #10??? Hell to the nawwww." O'Neal wrote.
Y’all agree with this? I DON’T.. KOBE #9 and me #10??? Hell to the nawwww https://t.co/VbU2lRNoz2
Still, even with that ranking, fans know the impact and legacy the iconic duo left on the court. Even if they're not considered the best players on the list, people still know how great they were.
Also read: Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal wanted to destroy each other before being forced to make peace by their moms