Shaquille O’Neal, besides being considered by many to this day as the most dominant player who ever stepped foot in the Association, was known, and still very much is, for his charisma and humor. However, there was one moment when that same humor was used as somewhat of a “threat” toward a team that was interested in his services at the time, the Portland Trail Blazers.
O’Neal’s days with the Los Angeles Lakers were slowly but surely coming to an end. Whether it was the publicly known feud with Kobe Bryant or simply championship fatigue in the City of Angels, it was clear that Shaq had to change his environment. And the legendary center had only one team on his mind. The Portland Trail Blazers.
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O’Neal wanted Miami or nothing else
Even though he was still competing for a title in 2004, O’Neal was closely watching what was happening out in the Eastern Conference. And boy, he had something to see. A rookie guard by the name of Dwyane Wade was showing everyone what he was capable of. The Big Diesel was impressed by Wade’s performance against the Hornets in his playoff debut, and from that point on, he had his eyes set on his next destination. He wanted to help that “kid” win his first championship, kind of in the same way he once helped Bryant grow into a winner.
It went so far that when he heard Portland was also in the mix for his services, he made it crystal clear that he had no intention of going there. According to Shaq himself, he was ready to take drastic measures to avoid that scenario.
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“I wanted to go to Miami. That’s when I started making phone calls and say, ‘Hey, Miami or nowhere.’ Apparently, they were supposed to play me in Portland. And I told them, ‘If you try to send me to Portland, I’mma gain 700 pounds and you are going to have to pay me for the next four or five years,” Shaq revealed in a recent 1-on-1 conversation with “The Heat Podcast Network.” “I said, ‘I’m not going to Portland,’ so they made a deal…”
Shaq led Miami to success
It seems that this intimidation method worked when it comes to the Hall of Fame big man, because in July of 2004 O’Neal was shipped to South Beach in a blockbuster trade that, on one hand, marked a disappointing end of the Lakers era, but on the other, opened a brand new chapter with young Wade in a Heat uniform.
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In the end, the move proved to be the right one. Shaq immediately turned the Heat into contenders and, almost like a prophecy, helped “The Flash” lead the franchise to its first ever NBA championship.
And as much as he joked about gaining 700 pounds to avoid Portland, in Miami he stayed locked in and in shape (sort of), proving that sometimes even Shaq’s wildest threats were just part of a master plan to land exactly where he wanted to be. And right there, he landed in a perfect situation to capture his fourth and final ring.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
