“More Injuries in My Time with Miami”: Shaquille O’Neal Once Openly Blamed Pat Riley For Getting Constantly Hurt While Playing For Heat

In his years playing for Miami, Shaquille O’Neal had a range of experiences, chiefly under the guidance of prominent coach, Pat Riley. In his 2012 autobiography, O’Neal cited Riley as the cause of his exacerbated injury problems during his Heat tenure. This was largely attributed to Riley’s strict body fat program, which required Shaq to slim down significantly.

O’Neal noticed that this new, leaner physique made him more susceptible to injuries given the physical demands of the game. He faulted Riley for this shift, emphasizing that his injury issues were not present during his time with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shaq’s long-serving massage therapist, Danny Garcia, concurred with his sentiments. Garcia shared that a leaner body shape put O’Neal at a disadvantage, as it lessened his ability to take hits from his opponents. Moreover, due to his playstyle being heavily reliant on power, O’Neal began experiencing an unprecedented number of injuries while playing in Miami.

Shaq expanded on these issues in his autobiography, noting that his severe injury problems continued to mar his career even after leaving Miami. Despite making attempts to secure another championship, first with the Phoenix Suns and then with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, ongoing injuries hampered his ability to replicate the successes he experienced with Lakers and the Heat. Beset by persistent ailments that limited his on-court availability, O’Neal hung up his boots while playing for the Celtics in 2011.

Apart from his injury woes, O’Neal also expressed other grievances with Pat Riley. Known for his tough disciplinary approach while coaching, Riley’s strictness often stirred fear among his Heat players. Nonetheless, O’Neal openly disagreed with Riley on multiple occasions while playing for Miami. One of his key grievances was Riley's surveillance of Dwyane Wade during practice, which he believed had a negative impact on the young star both on and off the court, as stated in his book.