“F**king put me out” - When Shaquille O'Neal revealed heated moment with ex Heat coach Pat Riley

Shaquille O'Neal and Pat Riley are both strong personalities, and the former NBA center once shared a gripping story of a heated exchange that took place between the two. O’Neal is known for his direct and outspoken nature, and Riley built a reputation as a no-nonsense player, coach, general manager and president over his 57 years in the NBA.

When O'Neal once questioned Riley's decision, things turned sour between the two leaders. According to O'Neal, the incident took place during the 2007-2008 season following the Miami Heat's successful championship season.

During a discussion with JJ Redick on "The Big Podcast with Shaq" in May, the former MVP revealed that Riley once reprimanded him and forced him out of the facilities.

"Jason Williams is half a millisecond late. Pat tells him 'get out,'" said Shaq.

After O'Neal tried to stand up to Riley and calm him down, the legendary coach didn't hesitate to throw the big man out of practice.

"And, you know, I'm the leader of the team, I'm like, 'Nah man, we are going to work through this,'" Shaq said.

Per Shaq, Riley then told him, "No, you get out."

"F**king put me out," O'Neal said.

Shaquille O'Neal admitted he got into a "little tussle" with Riley before leaving the gym to go home. After the altercation, the four-time NBA champion received a call from his security guard Jerome Crawford, who he affectionately referred to as "Uncle Jerome."

"You need help at the U-Haul place? You've just been traded," Crawford told Shaq.

The story does not end there, with O'Neal telling JJ Redick that he got into his car to head to the facilities to vent his frustrations, but when he arrived, he saw 30 police officers waiting for him outside.

During his heyday, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in the league. The 7-foot-1 star was the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft and made a name for himself with the Orlando Magic before moving to the LA Lakers, where he went on to win three consecutive NBA championships alongside Kobe Bryant.

He spent four seasons with the Miami Heat between 2004 and 2008 before being traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Shaquille O'Neal was unimpressed by legendary coach Pat Riley's motivational speeches

Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Photo Credit: Imagn

Pat Riley has worked with some of the game's greats, but not all his players were impressed by his coaching methods and famous speeches. In his autobiography "Shaq Uncut: My Story," Shaquille O'Neal wrote that Riley's motivational speeches had little effect on him:

"Pat gave a lot of motivational speeches. After a while, when he launched into one of them, my eyes kind of glazed over, to be honest. I can't tell you one speech he ever gave, because I knew it was all BS."

Pat Riley is considered one of the greatest coaches to grace the NBA, and the fiery Italian has an impressive resume after nearly 60 years in the pros. Riley played 528 games in the NBA before transitioning to become a coach with the Lakers. He has won nine total championships as a player, coach and executive.