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Miami Heat: Ranking The Top 5 Acquisitions In Franchise History

By James D. Tillman III

Dallas, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley (C) holds the Larry O'Brian trophy with Dwyane Wade (L) and Shaquille O'Neal (R) after winning the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas 20 June 2006. The Heat won 95-92 to take the best-of-seven series 4-2. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
Dallas, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley (C) holds the Larry O'Brian trophy with Dwyane Wade (L) and Shaquille O'Neal (R) after winning the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas 20 June 2006. The Heat won 95-92 to take the best-of-seven series 4-2. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Miami Heat president Pat Riley recently said that Shaquille O’Neal was the team’s biggest acquisition in the history of the franchise. Is that assessment correct?

Dallas, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley (C) holds the Larry O'Brian trophy with Dwyane Wade (L) and Shaquille O'Neal (R) after winning the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas 20 June 2006. The Heat won 95-92 to take the best-of-seven series 4-2. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
Dallas, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley (C) holds the Larry O’Brian trophy with Dwyane Wade (L) and Shaquille O’Neal (R) after winning the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas 20 June 2006. The Heat won 95-92 to take the best-of-seven series 4-2. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images) /

Pat Riley has been with the Miami Heat for two decades, serving in multiple capacities. Under his watch, the team has produced three NBA titles; seven conference finals appearances and 19 playoff appearances.

Over the course of those 21 seasons, Riley has acquired a number of star players, including Shaquille O’Neal, who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame.

When asked about the importance of signing O’Neal back in 2004, Riley raised a few eyebrows when he stated that O’Neal was the team’s most significant acquisition in franchise history.

From Miami Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman:

"“I’ll say this, and I mean this,” Riley said a few days ago, “Shaq’s acquisition was bigger than any acquisition that we ever made, including the Big Three.”"

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Some of you may be thinking “what about Alonzo Mourning“? After all, he helped Riley turn the franchise around when they arrived together in 1995?

"“Zo was big,” Riley says, “but getting Shaquille changed everything for our franchise. The seminal moment,” Riley says, “to really make us really, really legitimate. He turned our franchise around. He gave us real legitimacy.”"

So was Riley’ assessment accurate? Today we will answer this question by looking back at the Heat’s top five acquisitions.

Next: No. 5

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