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I'm sorry but he is going to be disappointed. It's either Mavs, Suns, or Spurs next year and maybe even the Pistons beat them.
O'Neal guarantees another le at Heat parade
June 23, 2006
MIAMI (Ticker) - Shaquille O'Neal vowed he would deliver an NBA le to South Beach when he was acquired by the Miami Heat in July 2004. On Friday, O'Neal guaranteed that another one will follow next season.
O'Neal and the Heat celebrated the first championship in the 18-year history of the franchise at a parade in downtown Miami on Friday.
The All-Star center is a veteran of championship parades, enjoying three with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02. O'Neal turned Friday's parade into his own personal rap concert and gave the crowd of approximately 250,000 exactly what it wanted to hear at the end - a guarantee of more championship glory.
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"We will do it again next year," O'Neal said. "Can you dig it."
The "can you dig it" line was a popular refrain from his parades with the Lakers.
The loudest ovations went to superstar guard Dwyane Wade and coach and president Pat Riley, who envisioned a parade when he came to run the franchise 11 years ago.
Wade averaged 34.7 points in the NBA Finals as the Heat won four straight games over the Dallas Mavericks after losing the first two games. He scored 36 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Heat's series-clinching 95-92 win at Dallas on Tuesday night.
"Repeat after me, MVP, MVP," O'Neal bellowed to the crowd before introducing Wade.
Wearing white sunglasses, Wade took a more humble approach in his address to the fans.
"You did it for us with your tremendous support," Wade said. "I just want to thank my teammates for making this possible."
Riley, who coached the Lakers to four les in the 1980s, danced on the stage to the delight of the fans while O'Neal rapped to the crowd.
"We've got 15 strong," Riley said. "It's all about 15 strong and these players rose to the occasion and you fans lifted us. This is very special."
Riley replaced Stan Van Gundy as coach in December. The future Hall of Famer is tied with John Kundla of the Minneapolis Lakers with five les. Only Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson have won more les, with nine each.
Championship banners were hanging along the side of Biscayne Boulevard - the major thoroughfare running through downtown Miami.
Guard Jason Williams provided relief when he sprayed the fans with toy water cannons as he traveled through the parade route on a truck.
O'Neal jumped off his truck to slap hands with the fans. But a large number of fans broke through the barricades, forcing police to clear the roadway so the parade could continue.
I'm sorry but he is going to be disappointed. It's either Mavs, Suns, or Spurs next year and maybe even the Pistons beat them.
The Pistons will not beat them next year.
Yeah for some reason, I think the Pistons have some rethinking to do before they just magically get back to the finals.
I don't understand how people and "experts" think the Pistons are going in the wrong direction. There still a 50 win team without Ben Wallace and with him who knows what will happen. They only need about 2 players that will make them a force in the playoffs. Cause they looked average during the Cavs and Miami series.
I find it very funny that all you do is laugh at people instead of trying to prove a point or give your opinion.
Blah,Blah,Blah
Whatever!
Stop hating on the Heat!
I don't know who will win it next year but I doubt very much it will be the Heat. Shaq will be one year older and slower and Wade will probably "go Hollywood" to some extent.
If they add some depth they could win the east. They better do it next season though as the Cavs are a player or two away from beginning their dominance of the east in my opinion.
Well put. I concur.
Shaq can talk all he wants. The Heat won. They're the champs. Every championship team talks about repeating the next season. So, Shaq is a little more confident and guarantees it. He and the Heat still have to go out there and do it. But, they're the champs and have the right to be a little y.
The Detroit Pistons may or may not be back. Who knows? It's professional sports. Nothing is written in stone. After David Robinson retired, and after the Spurs lost to the Lakers in '04, were the Spurs guaranteed to win it all again ... at least in the minds of non-Spurs fans? Detroit definitely needs to address some issues. And, teams like Cleveland and Washington and even Chicago depending what they do are all catching up to Miami and Detroit. New Jersey and Indiana won't fall to the bottom either. Every season is different, and that's why they play the games.
Detroit is not young, but they're not old either. The Pistons need to make a few changes, and they should still be a contender next season. Miami will still be a force, and Dwyane Wade is unbelievable. But, Shaq has clearly started to show his age.
Just like every season, it will be fun to watch. And, I'm sure the Heat and Miami fans will be doing a lot of talking all season long. But, that's cool. They're the defending champs.
Put Those Fours Up I Saiddd
puh lise how many times will i say it the pistons were a fluke from 2004 to 2006 their diabolical fluke is over!!!! heat have always been the superior team.last year a 5 players injured heat took the pissed ons to 7 games and this year they spanked them in 5(game 2...they were lucky to win).so no more detriot pissed ons talk.
I knew the moron squad from south Florida had to show up sooner or later.
we caught our moronic stuff from you so no argument there
Yeah, and Shaq's Lakers were a fluke le winner for 3 years in a row.
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." If it happens repeatedly, it's not a fluke.
How are the Pistons a fluke if they went to the finals 2 years in a row and went to the eastern conference finals four years in a row?
Hating on the Heat? Not at all. I was merely talking about the Pistons next year and what they need to do this off season to get better.
Oh Really???
Are you a Pistons fans or what?
we caught our moronic stuff from you so no argument there
Lol!
Yeah!The Miami Heat are the champs.Let's Go Heat!!!
Yeah, and Shaq's Lakers were a fluke le winner for 3 years in a row.
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." If it happens repeatedly, it's not a fluke.
i know what fluke means.the 00-02 lakers were not a fluke cuz they actually worked hard for what they wanted,the pistons,have had an easy way during their run cuz they always seem to defeat mentally and phisicaly injured teams,UNTILL 2006 when teams were healthy and they were finnaly exposed
2004-the eastern conference was injured especially j-kidd and j-oneal
2005-their dirty play on the brawl caused them to have an easy schedule,and the suspension of the guy that acctualy caused problems for them.in the ECF they were EXTREEMLEY lucky to win it cuz the heat had its starting lineup injured or recentley injured or in recovery AND THE INJURED HEAT STILL TOOK THE PISTONS TO 7 GAMES PROOVING ONCE AGAIN WHY THEY ARE THE BETTER TEAM
2006-the pistons won the ECF... OH WAIT THE CAVS AND HEAT WERE HEALTHY!!!SO AS ALWAYS PISTONS COULD NOT HANDLE HEALTHY TEAMS SO BY BY TO THE PISTONS DIABOLICAL FLUKE
2007-the team's fluke is offically over
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