4) Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq’s Miami era was simply spectuclar.

Shaq came in Miami with a veganece knowing that the Lakers pushed him out and he walked right into Miami with a mentality to prove everyone wrong….and he did.

DWade became transformed into a bonafide superstar, and the Miami Heat became a premier franchise. He was the final boss that made Miami real.

And he did. When Shaq arrived, it changed everything. The franchise went from “fun rising team” to “oh this is serious now.” He gave Miami legitimacy in one move, and he made the court tilt just by being there.

His stats in that first season weren’t fluff either: 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks while Miami won 59 games and got the top seed in the East. He was an MVP runner-up. He wasn’t just a big name, he was still a problem.

And in 2006, even though Wade was the flame-thrower, Shaq was the gravity. The ring doesn’t happen without Wade going nuclear, but that whole title structure got built when Miami decided: “Let’s put the most dominant big man in the world next to our superstar guard and see who survives.”

*With Miami Shaq was a 4x All-Star, 2x-All NBA, MVP Runner Up, 1x Champion