Could Pat Riley’s term with the Heat have been cut short had Shaq once lost his cool? Most NBA fans would know Shaquille O’Neal has not hesitated to let it loose when he loses his temper. The instances like one with Brad Miller and Charles Barkley come to mind. But what if the 4x NBA champ would have done the same with Riley? It turns out they came quite close to this happening, as revealed by Udonis Haslem in a conversation with Dwyane Wade on The OGs.

Appearing on the OG’s podcast, Wade and UD got to discussing some of the funniest stories from Heat. Haslem had a wild story about a heated confrontation between Shaq and Heat President Riley. According to D-Wade and his former teammate, things nearly escalated to a point where Riley’s fate could have taken a serious turn.

During the episode, Haslem recalled a moment in the gym when Riley and Shaq were riled up, with tension building fast. “Everybody over there trying to break it up… D. Wade on the other side shooting free throws,” Haslem hilariously said. And Wade admitted he had no plans to intervene. “I’m not getting in there… I saw big fella drag three people around the gym… Got a game, I got to hit these (baskets).”

Despite the intense moment, Wade felt confident Shaquille O’Neal wouldn’t actually lay hands on Riley. But Haslem couldn’t help but wonder what if he had? The Flash humorously imagined the fallout, saying, “We always gonna have to pick Pat up and get him out of there and get him to the hospital… If Shaq had been behind for five seconds and swung, we would have had to rush him to the hospital.”

The story reminded co-host Mike Miller of another infamous incident involving Heat player James Johnson. Known for his martial arts background, Johnson had once disciplined a teammate in a way that left quite an impression. Wade mentioned heading downstairs to monitor the situation, noting, “It was bing, bing, bing. It was bink, bink, bink,” capturing Johnson’s swift resolution with his own hands.

For those who are unaware, Johnson has a second-degree black belt in karate. As per one Sports Illustrated article, he had an alleged 20–0 kickboxing record and a 7–0 mark in MMA. Now, even considering the rumors and reports that Johnson once made his teammate cry, what Shaq could have done to Riley is much worse.

Shaquille O’Neal claimed he was the first person to have Riley change his ways!

When Shaq landed in Miami in 2004, he brought more than just his dominance on the court. He brought a larger-than-life personality that even the Heat’s legendary Pat Riley couldn’t ignore. After years of teaming up with Kobe in LA and winning three straight titles, O’Neal was ready to shake things up in Miami. And let’s just say, Riley wasn’t used to players challenging his strict rules.

From the start, Big Diesel and the then-Heat coach butted heads over discipline. Riley, known for his no-nonsense coaching style, implemented a curfew on road games with a $1,000 fine per violation. But as revealed by Shaq himself on The OGs, he wasn’t having it. Imagine walking into Riley’s office and laying down a check for $41,000—just to cover every potential fine for the season.

“I’m a grown man, and that’s just not going to happen,” Shaq revealed on The OGs. And it didn’t stop there. After leading Miami to a championship in 2006, the 15x All-Star’s influence on the team grew. No wonder he convinced Riley to move practice times back to noon, knowing his teammates needed a few extra hours to recover from Miami’s nightlife.

“I told Pat, we only need three or four hours of sleep”. Riley agreed, and the Heat went on a winning streak. But, as Shaq recounted, Riley quickly reverted to early practices once the streak broke. From the conversation it seems, no matter how intense the situation was, Shaq would not have raised a hand on Riley, as stated by Wade on The OGs.