Miami Heat's halftime program during Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers was a memorable event. The team retires Shaquille O'Neal's No.32 Jersey in a Shaq-like fashion, and team president Pat Riley recalls how the giant seven-footer changed the course of the franchise.

Heat President Pat Riley remembered how they acquired Shaq. According to ESPN, he called the team's owner, Micky Arison, mentioning the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of getting one of the league's dominant centers, and how Arison screamed for joy at the idea. The then-coach of the Heat also remembered how O'Neal is considered to be a "Franchise Changer", as his leadership brought the team to its first NBA Championship in 2006. He also mentioned the time during his coaching years, when Shaq would just rub his championship ring and tell him that they will get one of those.

During the longer-than-usual halftime event at the American Airlines Arena, O'Neal, donning a red and blue suit, took center stage and thanked people and shared stories about his journey with the Heat, which he recalls as the best years in the industry. He was also greeted by his mother riding a miniature version of the 18-wheeler he rode in when he came to Miami.

As reported by NBA, O'Neal had three championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, before moving out of the team due to some differences with the management and team mates, most notably Kobe Bryant. Shaq then joined the Heat through a trade from the Lakers in 2004, and he came down to Miami in an 18-wheeler 'Diesel Power' truck and promised a championship ring for the team. This promise became a reality two years after, and the team would then add two more titles under their belts with LeBron James in 2012 and 2013.

Dwayne Wade, a team mate of Shaq during his stint with Heat, as well as the reason he moved to Miami, referred to the "big fella" as the one who changed everything for everyone in the team.

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