Shaquille O'Neil Is So Mean, Says A Hurt Pat Riley

It was probably the best thing in the eyes of the Miami Heat organization to ship Shaquille O'Neil off to the Phoenix Suns last month. His overbearing contract, along with minimal play because he was a fat lug, were a stifling element for a team that needed to make room for young growth. When you're last in the NBA in winning percentage, that means it's time for growth. Yet, Miami Heat coach Pat Riley never assumed that Shaq Daddy would spurn his former team the way he did this week.

"I love playing for this coach and I love playing with [Phoenix]," O'Neal told the Boston Globe. "We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again."

Who wouldn't be ecstatic with a team that knows how to win? So what did Pat Riley think?

"It's sad that he says those things. We shared so much here, together, for three years, good and bad, 31/2 years," Riley said, referring specifically to the Heat's 2006 NBA title. "I just think it's sad that he's got to do that."

There's no crying in basketball, and to be an optimist, maybe Shaq is using some reverse psychology: bash his former team so they can prove him wrong later. Well, it's unlikely they'll prove him wrong anytime soon, unless Dwayne Wade learns how to play basketball again. Riley saddened by more O'Neal shots [Chicago-Tribune] Image [SI]