When Shaquille O’Neal was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year, Heat president Pat Riley had a chance to reflect on the trade that brought the Big Fella time to the franchise. “Getting Shaquille changed everything,” he said. “Shaq’s acquisition was bigger than any acquisition that we ever made, including the Big Three.” He understood the weight of his words, and took pains to say he meant them, referring to the turn of events as “the seminal moment to really make us really, really legitimate. He turned our franchise around. He gave us real legitimacy.”
No doubt, Riley was moved to heap praise on O’Neal given the circumstances. Then again, there could be no discounting the point he made. After all, the deal established the Heat as major players in free agency, firmly putting in the rear-view mirror previous failures, the ill-fated attempt to make Juwan Howard the National Basketball Association’s first $100-million Man included. Up until then, Miami was not looked at as a desirable, even glamorous, stop, never mind its weather, cool vibe, and absence of income tax.
Certainly, O’Neal’s arrival — and, however, brief, successful stint — with the Heat provided the impetus for LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form their triumphant partnership with resident star Dwyane Wade. These days, though, the franchise’s reputation is less than ideal, in no small irony due to the way the aforesaid group disbanded. Bad luck and wrong timing have hampered its efforts to lure would-be cornerstones. Most recently, it whiffed on Gordon Hayward and, in the aftermath, felt compelled to shell out significant cap space for Dion Waiters, a high-volume, low-efficiency shooter who had already worn out his welcome in two stops.
Still, there’s good news; Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra are hard-nosed grinders who, in invariably managing to make the most of the assets before them, underscore the culture that defines the Heat. Which, as mediocre as they may seem on paper, sets them up well for a bright future. With proper planning, a few good bounces can make for a few good men. There’s always the next trade, the next free-agency sweepstakes, and if nothing else, they know they’ll be in the running. Because of O’Neal. Because, once upon a time, they dreamed. And because they dream still.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
