Miami coach Pat Riley says it’s sad that Shaquille O’Neal keeps criticizing Heat

[Dj Narcotics]

By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer Mar 27, 12:30 am EDT

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NEW YORK (AP)—Pat Riley can’t understand why Shaquille O’Neal keeps talking about the Miami Heat.

Riley responded to O’Neal’s criticisms Wednesday with some of his own, saying his former center was wrong to disparage some of his old teammates and trainers in a Boston Globe story.

“It’s sad that he says those things. We shared so much here, together, for three years, good and bad, 3 1/2 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.”

Riley dealt O’Neal to Phoenix before the trade deadline, allowing the 36-year-old center the chance to compete for another title instead of sticking around Miami for a last-place finish. O’Neal made it clear how much he prefers his new teammates.

“I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys,” O’Neal told the 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.”
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After Phoenix’s loss to Boston, O’Neal elaborated, saying that defenses would sag off of Quinn and Davis and he wasn’t able to get the ball. Of Riley’s comments, O’Neal said colorfully, “I don’t (care) how he interpreted it.”

Reminded that reporters couldn’t use the quote because of the expletive, he said, “Sure you can. You can quote me, brother. You can put an ‘s,’ then the tic-tac-toe, the ‘at’ sign and then the other symbols.”

O’Neal was critical about shots—as in, not getting enough of them—often during his tenure with the Heat. This year, he expressed those sentiments in the days that followed a 110-101 loss at Utah on Dec. 3—a game where Quinn didn’t play and O’Neal and Davis were on court together for 16 minutes, 2 seconds.

He also complained about not getting enough touches two days after going 8-for-15 in a 120-99 loss against Orlando, another game where he and Quinn never were on the court at the same time. Plus, O’Neal got into an argument with Riley during an early season practice, and words got so heated that Alonzo Mourning intervened to keep the two separated.

Keep in mind, O’Neal is the one who repeatedly referred to his Miami coach as “the great Pat Riley” during his time in South Florida. But he also was clearly miffed when Riley pulled him in the first minute of a game at New Jersey earlier this season for blowing a defensive assignment.

Riley said he doesn’t have “anything but good feelings for Shaq” and wasn’t bothered by any criticism leveled at him. But he said O’Neal has no reason to blame anyone else in the organization for his unhappiness.

“When you’re 9-40, we’re all frustrated. I mean everybody’s at fault, we all were. Everybody was feeling bad and nobody wants that,” Riley said.

“He didn’t want to be there, he didn’t want to play for that kind of situation, 35 years old. He wanted to go to a contender and we sent him there. We sent him to Utopia and we’re left here with the carnage and I don’t know why he’s not happy.”

Riley also defended the work of veteran trainer Ron Culp and the team’s medical staff, saying O’Neal was out of line to speak poorly of them.

“It’s really a shame that he would insult those people like that because they gave him care. They cared,” Riley said. “They didn’t kiss his butt. They cared about him.

“He can do whatever he wants to do to me. That’s OK, I don’t care. But those men, they tried. … That upsets me more than anything.”

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[Dj Narcotics]

pat Riley got a point he did shaq da favor and traded him to give him another chance @ a tittle

[gambino95]

Originally Posted by Dj Narcotics

pat Riley got a point he did shaq da favor and traded him to give him another chance @ a tittle

c/s Shaq should be happy to be where he is

Riley seems like he would be way better in the front office than as a head coach. Class act guy, but inspires nothing on the court.

[jbone23]

shaq is fuckin petty, hes just a big baby, always whinin about his situation and always sittin out entire seasons from sprained ankles just to come and be an ogre in the middle of the lane in the playoffs. but i will say hes fuckin hilarious, im hopin his big dumb ass becomes an analyst after hes done playin

[Alak]

Read this yesterday, really good article so props for posting it. I'll admit that I was wrong criticizing Shaq's move here to Phoenix, but he really needs to be more appreciative. It's easy to to complain when you're losing but he's on a winning team so that shouldn't be applicable to him.

[Da 5th Dawg]

Y'all notice Shaq does this every time he changes teams? He dissed Orlando when he left, the Lakers, and now Miami. When he leaves Phoenix he will throw the coach or Nash under the bus. I lost respect for Shaq. Plus there are rumors he was dissing D-Wade behind the scenes.

[Scotter 188]

shaq shouldnt be talkin shit like that cuz thats childish, but i guess he can say whatever he wants cuz hes got four rings and 14 allstar appearances

[chimochi]

Originally Posted by Scotter 188

shaq shouldnt be talkin shit like that cuz thats childish, but i guess he can say whatever he wants cuz hes got four rings and 14 allstar appearances

plus whos going to stand up to shaq,,common hes the diesel

[Da 5th Dawg]

Originally Posted by chimochi

plus whos going to stand up to shaq,,common hes the diesel

/calls Charles Barkley

[chimochi]

Originally Posted by Da 5th Dawg

/calls Charles Barkley

if it wasn't for mobley shaq would of knocked barkley out