Speaking publicly for the first time since agreeing to a $100 million, five-year contract with the Miami Heat - who offered more money than Shaquille O'Neal ultimately accepted - the 12-time All-Star center said Saturday that he believes a flurry of offseason moves has brought his team closer to that elusive NBA title.

"I'm getting to the point in my career where I do need firepower," O'Neal said. "I want my career to be about championships. So I took one for the team, and that's what a great team player does. I'm very grateful and I'm very honored that (Heat owner) Micky Arison did what he did and I appreciate it."

By taking less money - he would have made $30.6 million this season under the terms of his old deal, which he opted out of - O'Neal gave the Heat far more flexibility. And once O'Neal's deal got done, it took Miami president Pat Riley only a couple hours to spring into action.

He put together a trade that brought forward Antoine Walker from Boston, plus guard Jason Williams and forward James Posey from Memphis - all part of a five-team, 13-player deal that cost the Heat swingman Eddie Jones, and a pair of relatively little-used reserves from last year's squad.

"We lost a great teammate," Wade said. "But I was also excited because the guys coming in can help us get to where we need to go, and that's to win a championship."

O'Neal said he'll make sure the right chemistry is in place to ensure that the revamped roster works.

"Jason Williams is going to get everybody the ball. He sees everything. Antoine is going to shoot the 3. It's going to be fun," O'Neal said. "I'm very excited. I mean, I can't wait to play the first game and then go home and watch the first game."