Pat Riley told some background on the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal ai Miami Heatfocusing above all on the commitment and physical transformation of the centre.
“When Shaq got here, he really wanted to come here,” Riley explained. “And I’ll never forget the first thing I did was weigh him,” he said, smiling. “He was okay, open to anything. And I knew he still had one last big shot left in him.”
All’epoca, O’Neal weighed in 383 lbs (approximately 174 kg) and it was around the 14% body fat or more. Riley, however, clarified that it wasn’t a matter of poor physical form.
“Shaq is just a huge man, 380 pounds,” he noted. “But by the end of the season it had dropped to 323 lbs (approximately 147 kg) con 12% body fat. He lost 60 pounds, that is about 27 kilos.”
According to Riley, that change was the result of a precise choice and great professionalism.
“He could still play like a giant, but he played great,” he said. “In fact, he played better in that first year.”
O’Neal’s contribution was decisive for the Heat’s run until Eastern Conference Finalswhere Miami was eliminated only in game 7 by Detroit Pistonsin Shaq’s first season in Florida.
