“Hey man, I’m getting double-teamed. I’m going through a divorce. I’m not playing good. What the you gonna do? Don’t be looking for me. Go to work,” Shaq told D-Wade during the 2006 championship run. And Dwyane Wade did go to work—dropping an iconic Finals performance with 34.7 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. The Heat won four straight to clinch their first-ever title, and Wade walked away with Finals MVP honors.

But here’s the kicker—Shaquille O’Neal knew what he was doing. In an interview with Dan Patrick that same year, fresh off his fourth championship, Shaq was all praise for his young teammate. “When I came here, I decided to let him [Wade] go, and I was going to be the second option. He’s a great player… the best in the world, D-Wade.”

Fast forward to now, and Shaq hasn’t changed his tune. Speaking on the Houston Texans’ podcast, the big man doubled down on the story. He reflected on his past struggles with teammates like Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant before making a conscious choice in Miami. “When I got to Miami, leave D-Wade alone… It’s my operation. My way or you getting beat up in the locker room,” Shaq joked.

Shaq didn’t stop there—he also admitted the early days with the Heat weren’t smooth sailing. “So we had a fight, but I know we got some dawgs,” he said. Shaq knew Wade had what it took to lead, especially when he wasn’t at his best. “We gave D-Wade permission to be D-Wade ’cause D-Wade is a great kid,” Shaq recalled. “I was going through divorce… mentally I wasn’t there. So he took off.”

Dwyane Wade supported Shaq’s claim as earlier this year, he re-shared the old interview with the caption: “And then I became Batman!” Yet former Warrior Gilbert Arenas isn’t convinced. He’s called Shaq’s story out as fiction.

Gilbert Arenas calls 0ut the Big Diesel’s Miami tale

On Gil’s Arena podcast, Arenas didn’t hold back, calling Shaquille O’Neal’s claim about handing the team to Dwyane Wade pure “cap.” He added, “Oh no, this is public. Shaq goes around and says he told Wade that this is your team.” According to Arenas, that tale might sound good, but it just doesn’t add up.

Next, Arenas broke down the bigger picture, reminding fans why Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers in the first place. Kobe Bryant had taken over as the clear no. 1 option, and Shaq wasn’t having it. The Big Diesel moved to Miami, hoping to reclaim his role as the “top dog”. But as Arenas put it, things didn’t exactly go as planned for Shaq once Wade started making his mark.

And about Wade—he wasn’t just some rookie looking to learn the ropes. By the time Shaq landed in Miami, Wade had already shown flashes of his star power. Sure, there were bumps in their first season together, but a turning point came during the Heat’s West Coast trip. When Miami faced Kobe’s Lakers, the hierarchy became clear. “Wade wasn’t following; he was leading.”

Arenas wrapped it up with a bold take, saying Shaq didn’t deliver when the Heat needed him most. “When Shaq came back, Gary Payton had to step in and say, ‘Hold on big fella, young fella got this,’” Arenas shared. In his eyes, D-Wade was always “Batman,” and Shaq? Maybe just Robin in Miami’s fairytale.