"I packed one suit, one shirt and one tie," he said before the game. "That's it."
O'Neal, who had nine points and 12 rebounds while fighting foul trouble, was held to two of his worst career playoff games in the earlier Dallas debacles, and he endured another extraordinary struggle at the free-throw line in the series. None of it will matter to the Big Champ: He'll take a special pride in winning his first ring without Kobe Bryant.
Their partnership resulted in three titles and four finals trips for the Los Angeles Lakers, but their clashing egos caused a power struggle that led to Shaq's trade.
O'Neal has no such problems with Wade, and their cohesion peaked in Miami's four finals wins.
Riley, the slick-haired strategist who led the Lakers to four titles in the 1980s, now has vindication from those who criticized his decision to take over the club from coach Stan Van Gundy early in the season.
Leaning on Riley's savvy in coaching veterans and defense, the Heat rolled through the postseason with surprising force -- never even facing a seventh game. Riley now has seven rings, counting his single championships as a player and an assistant coach.
And the Heat's roster is studded with stars who never won a title. Point guard Gary Payton reached the finals with three teams before finally grabbing the ring, while Alonzo Mourning played through 13 seasons, two retirements and a serious kidney ailment for a championship.
Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey, Udonis Haslem -- all endured serious career troubles, and now they're all champions, too.
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