Shaquille O’Neal’s legendary dominance on the court has been matched only by his penchant for playful and often biting trash talk off it. Known for throwing shade even at his close friends, Shaq’s loud, unfiltered opinions have long been part of his brand. The criticisms on Joel Embiid and Rudy are some of the hot topics the seven-footer has started. However, an unexpected source, his former teammate Dwyane Wade, offered a bit of his own “trash talk” in a lighthearted but pointed response that sent shockwaves through the NBA community.

The interaction happened on the new episode of ‘The OGs’ podcast, where Wade was asked about his personal Mount Rushmore of basketball. “Well yeah man, I got a pick four people. So this is pretty easy. It’s going to be Michael Jordan. No orders because the orders can get changed. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal,” said Wade during the podcast.

However, as soon as he finished telling his list, he added a new twist to it. “And if Shaq keeps talking s–t to me, I’ma put Steph in there and take him out,” added Wade. This playful jab isn’t without context. Wade and Shaq have had their differences in the past, both on and off the court. After joining the Miami Heat in 2004, Shaq publicly supported Wade, dubbing him the franchise’s future and proclaiming he would help bring a title to Miami.

“D-Wade is a historic player. And there’s a lot of barbershop talk of him being the second- or the third-best two-guard in the game. And when you bring his name up, there’s nobody even close, as far as three, four, five, six and all that. So he is one of the top two-guards to play the game,” said Shaq about Dwyane Wade once. The duo came together to make that promise, winning the 2006 NBA Championship. In the Finals, Wade had an unbelievable performance and averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, along with the Finals MVP honors.

However, even after winning the 2006 finals, Shaq and Wade had their first argument, during that time. The Dallas Mavericks were leading 2-0 against the Heat, causing Shaq to have a crucial conversation with Wade as he faced personal struggles and witnessed his own decline.

“D-wade, our first argument was in the Finals. We go down 0-2. I’m declining as Shaq,” said O’Neal.

He continued, “I’m going through a divorce. I’m not Shaq. My first three guys are terrible, awful. So I pulled D-Wade in the room and said, ‘What the f— you gonna do man? Mother—-er, you want to be the man, what the f— you gonna do?’ I wasn’t trying to fight; I was just asking questions. He had a look of relief like, ‘Oh, I can?’ So yeah, mother—-er, I got four people on me.’ And he said, ‘Okay, Shaq.’ And he went off,” said Shaq during an episode of The Big Shaq podcast.

It can be speculated this was the ‘s–t’ talk Dwyane Wade had been referring to in the recent podcast. Wade’s response serves as both a warning and a playful reminder that the game moves forward, and those who contributed yesterday should respect the voices of today — or risk being replaced. However, though Wade takes a slight jab at Shaq here, there was another time when he lauded the seven-footer.

Shaq’s words of wisdom impressed Dwyane Wade

In the NBA, passing knowledge from one generation to the next is key to success. A few examples are as impactful as the mentorship between Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade. When Shaq joined the Miami Heat in 2004, Wade was a young, talented player eager to learn and grow. Shaq, already a seasoned champion, saw Wade’s potential. He took him under his wing without hesitation, offering guidance on and off the court.

During an episode of Angel Reese’s podcast, Wade admitted he learned how to treat his teammates with gifts and include them on the brand deals he receives.

“Shaq was my veteran…He came from being Shaq, being from LA and he kind of showed us what to do a little bit when it came to gifting certain things to your teammates when it came to taking your teammates out on the road…So, when I became a vet, same thing. I get any deal, I’m making sure that all my teammates get a chance to have it because I’m not playing an individual sport,” said Wade during the podcast.

Significantly, Dwyane Wade said he became the face of the franchise for the longest time. Yes, he was also the biggest superstar in Miami. So, it became his responsibility to keep the team together by showing appreciation for the players’ hard work on the court. The four years Shaq and Wade had spent together really helped ‘The Flash’ develop his character as a player. The sparkling bond they had an everlasting impact, reminding us all the power of sharing knowledge to build greatness in others.