On July 14, 2004, Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.
The blockbuster deal that sent shock waves through the NBA was a game-changer for the Heat franchise.
Before there was the Big Three, there was Shaq and D-Wade.
The NBA's most dominant big man landed in South Beach with a promise. A promise that while he was in a Heat uniform, the franchise would win their first-ever NBA title.
In his first season with Miami, O'Neal played outstanding. In 73 games O'Neal averaged 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
Shaq also led the NBA in field-goal percentage, shooting .601 percent from the floor.
In one of the closest MVP votes in league history, O'Neal narrowly lost to Steve Nash, but did manage to lead his team to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the defending champion Detroit Pistons.
The following season, O"Neal and the Miami Heat finally reached the promise land.
Even in the face of injury and limited minutes, Shaq and company managed to upset the Dallas Mavericks and win the franchise's first NBA title.
The reason O'Neal ranks so high on this list is because he, alongside Dwyane Wade, was a huge factor in turning Miami into a serious NBA powerhouse.
Before Shaq arrived in South Beach, Miami was always on the cusp of greatness. After Shaq left, they became a true basketball town.
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