Shaquille O’Neal’s time with the Miami Heat was obviously very productive and resulted in a championship, but it wasn’t without its friction and drama.

Now, all these years later, O’Neal is sharing a story about how Pat Riley welcomed him to the team.

Speaking with the Straight Game Podcast, O’Neal said that Riley demanded he get in better shape when he moved to Miami.

However, O’Neal didn’t want to be compared to other players, and he didn’t want to be told what to do.

“When I first got there, [Pat Riley] was like, ‘Oh, your body fat needs to be 11.’ You all know Pat was a stat guy. One day, he brought in Alonzo Mourning. He said, ‘Lonzo, take your shirt off.’ He said, ‘I need you to look like this.’ But then I pulled out my piece of paper and said, ‘This is how much I average on Alonzo. 39, 17, and 4,” O’Neal said.

Shaq on Pat Riley:

“He wanted me to look more like Alonzo Mourning. So I pulled out a paper and responded ‘This is how much I average on Alonzo. 39, 17, and 4.’” 💯

(via @straightgamepod) pic.twitter.com/1lwmSpnNGB

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O’Neal fully understood that he was much bigger than Alonzo Mourning, but he was confident about what he could contribute to the team.

He knew that with his size came a lot of power, and that was exactly what the Heat needed.

He was right, because Miami was soon going all the way to the NBA Finals.

Just a year after moving to the Heat, O’Neal and his squad claimed a championship, and no one was talking about his size then.

Both O’Neal and Riley have a history of speaking their minds and not backing down from their opinions.

They also have histories of winning a lot in the NBA, so there is a reason they dig their heels in.

This partnership wasn’t without its problems, but it ultimately led to great things for O’Neal, Riley, and the Heat.