July 14, 2004.

That’s the day everything changed for the Miami HEAT. It was an interesting time when Shaquille O’Neal came to Miami via a blockbuster trade that involved three other players and a first-round draft pick. The HEAT were coming off a surprising 2003-04 campaign in which they pushed the Indiana Pacers to six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Miami already had a budding superstar in Dwyane Wade, who was starting to turn heads. The pairing of O’Neal and Wade would go on to become one of the league's most prolific duos over the next few seasons. That expectation was the main reason for all the excitement at O’Neal’s introductory press conference nearly a week after the trade became official.

To truly quantify the center’s impact, you have to look beyond the numbers. One of the most dominating forces the NBA had ever seen, who helped lead the Lakers to a three-peat at the beginning of the millennium, now had “HEAT” across his chest. His sheer presence alone made Miami instant title contenders, while Pat Riley did the rest by building a supporting cast around him and Wade. The team got very close in 2005, but a rib injury to Wade in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals was too much to overcome. Still, not resting on his laurels, Riley added Jason Williams, James Posey, Antonie Walker and Gary Payton, all vital pieces in the 2006 title run.

Above all else, though, Shaq possessed championship pedigree and experience. Both he and Riley had been there before and knew what it took to win a title. Obviously, Wade played a massive role in Miami’s first championship and without him there wouldn’t be three of those banners hanging up in the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena. But it was O’Neal and Riley who initially brought that championship mentality.

In his three and a half seasons in Miami, O’Neal averaged 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. Shaq’s first season with the HEAT was his best, as he led the league in field goal percentage and finished second in MVP voting. His fantastic play that year led to a 59-23 record for Miami and the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

As he had done in the past, O’Neal continued to make life easier for his teammates by commanding double teams inside and being a willing (and rather underrated) passer. One of his biggest moments in a HEAT uniform came in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals. While that game and series will always be remembered as Wade’s ascent to superstardom, O’Neal hit two huge free throws to cut Dallas’ lead to three with 1:48 left to play. The HEAT would go on to win that contest and the next three to earn their first NBA title.

Although that clash with the Mavericks was remarkable, the playoff battles in consecutive seasons with the Detroit Pistons were just as memorable. It seemed like Miami and Detroit were destined for a collision course the second O’Neal signed with the HEAT.

Fresh off defeating O’Neal and the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals, the Pistons were one of the most complete teams of that era. They didn’t have one definitive superstar, but instead had a roster loaded with future hall of famers. Miami was very close to knocking off the defending champs in 2005 thanks to O’Neal’s leadership, but Wade got hurt. The following year, the man of many nicknames finally exacted revenge. In Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, O’Neal shut the door on Detroit with a 28-point, 16-rebound, 5-block performance. No matter what the Pistons threw at him, it quite simply didn’t matter. In that series, O’Neal averaged 21.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per contest.

Like Wade, O’Neal performed his best on the biggest stage. His four NBA titles and stellar playoff averages make that pretty clear. While it’s truly difficult to put into words how much The Diesel meant to the Miami HEAT franchise, his large stature and jovial personality will never be forgotten.