NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal emphatically called out former quarterback turned media personality Robert Griffin III, telling him to stop posting commentary about WNBA star Angel Reese – and he made it clear what might happen if he didn’t. O’Neal went so far as to say he would punch Griffin in the “f—ing face.”

Reese has become one of the most polarizing athletes in sports, and her rivalry with Caitlin Clark has turned into a toxic national conversation. Griffin has regularly posted about the dynamics between Reese and Clark, second-year WNBA players whose rivalry stretches back to college, with language that often seems intent on stoking the divide.

But what set O’Neal off this time was Griffin deciding to repost a racist edit of Reese’s NBA 2K26 cover, which drew backlash for amplifying the post even as he insisted he was calling out the racism. That drew a response from O’Neal, who has been a mentor to Reese since her time at LSU, their shared alma mater. The Hall of Fame center didn’t mince words on the Off the Record podcast when telling Griffin to stop posting about Reese.

“She’s not gonna respond ’cause I’m the one calling and telling her, ‘Baby, keep it classy.’ ‘Cause she’s not soft, by any means, she’s from the streets,” O’Neal said. “But I’m like you’re beautiful, don’t indulge with these fools. ‘Cause he’s a fool. You don’t even have a G14 classification to say that. I would respect it more if Lisa Leslie said it. Like, that’s y’all category. Stay out of them people’s category. Like, I don’t mind you doing your job, but don’t pick on that little girl. ‘Cause guess what? I’m her protector. Now pick on me. You pick on me, I’m gonna punch you in your f—ing face.”

Both Reese and Clark insist that any animosity between the two ends once they step off the court, but people can’t let go of the idea that they hate each other. Griffin has been among the most prominent figures pushing that narrative.

A historic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store owned by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was engulfed in flames early Wednesday.

Atlanta firefighters responded to the call of flames after midnight. Battalion Chief Douglas Hatcher stated that they were able to save most of the buildings from the fire. While they were able to save the historic store, it still received substantial damage from the fire.

The Atlanta Fire Crew posted a video on Twitter showing the firefighters continuing to extinguish remaining hot spots.

The fire was reported to have started from the back of the store. An investigation is currently ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

The historic Krispy Kreme store first opened in 1965. It was one of the first stores to be opened, outside of the company’s main base of operations. The beloved store donated 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches in April 1968 after Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral

The historic store was bought by O’Neal in 2016. “I hope no one was hurt and we will bounce back better than ever,” O’Neal said after the fire was extinguished.

A couple of weeks ago, in the absence of basketball games, ESPN ranked the top-74 players in the NBA’s history (74 because this season was the NBA’s 74th anniversary). On May13, ESPN released their top-10 players of all-time. You probably can guess who the top-10 were but here it is:

1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Magic Johnson
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Larry Bird
8. Tim Duncan
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Shaquille O’Neal

Personally, I have some issues with the list. I think some guys should be higher while others are lower, but I will give my personal list later. Looking at the list however, here is why each guy has a case to be considered one of the ten best players in NBA history:

• Jordan:
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 5.3 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time Finals MVP, 5-time Regular Season MVP, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time scoring champion, 14-time All-Star, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Jordan is one of the best to ever step on an NBA court, if you are watching The Last Dance, you would know how much Jordan was idolized around the world and how much respect his competitors had for him. In the 90s, everyone wanted to take on the Bulls and beat Jordan, but none of them could.
• James:
  • Career Stats (at least as of right now): 27.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 7.4 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 4-time League MVP, 16-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP 12-time First team All NBA. 
  • The guy is the best player of this generation, he is a physical freak of nature, has had numerous moments during his career that can be considered iconic. The longevity of his success can arguably be the most impressive pair of his entire career.
• Abdul-Jabbar:
  • Career Stats: 24.6 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, 2.6 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 6-time League MVP, 19-time All Star, 10-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all time leader in points scored with 38,387 career points. He had one of the most unstoppable moves in league history with the skyhook. I mentioned his list of his achievements but the guy truly did it all, more MVPs than any other player, more All Star game appearances than any other player. The fact that he was so good and so dominant for so long is what is really impressive.
• Russell:
  • Career Stats: 15.1 points per game, 22.5 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 11-time NBA Champion, 5-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, Member of NBA’s. 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary Teams.
  • Despite not having the same accolades as the three guys ahead of him, that is partially because those things did not exist. There was not such a thing as a Finals MVP until his final championship in 1969, which went to Jerry West. They named the Finals MVP after Russell who is considered the ultimate winner in basketball history with 11 championships in 13 seasons. Blocks was not a stat during Russell’s career, but he was a prolific shot blocker if you watch the footage.
• Johnson:
  • Career Stats: 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 11.2 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 2-time All Star Game MVP, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • I mean when your nickname is ‘Magic,’ that means you are something special and that’s what Johnson was. The orchestrator of the Showtime Lakers, he was a wizard with the basketball in his hands, revolutionized the game with his size being a 6′ 9” point guard but had skills no one had ever seen before. He was the face of the NBA in the 80s, some say it was Bird, others Jordan, but I personally think it is without question Johnson.
• Chamberlain: 
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 22.9 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 2-time NBA Champion, 1-time Finals MVP,  4-time League MVP, 13-time All Star, 7-time First Team All NBA, 7-time scoring champion, 11-time rebounding champion. Member of NBA’s 35th and 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Chamberlain is the only player to score 100 points in a game, he averaged 50 points in a season, a truly dominant player. My one issue with ‘The Big Dipper,’ is that was this dominance more so of a byproduct with the era he played in. Sure there was Russell, but that is really it for centers in that era who posed any real challenge to Chamberlain. Who knows, maybe that’s just how dominant he really was that only one guy in the whole NBA stood a chance against him.
• Bird:
  • Career Stats: 24.3 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, 6.3 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Bird’s career was going to be compared to that of Magic Johnson’s the moment the two were drafted into the NBA, and neither balked at the challenge. Bird is one of the best shooters in league history, as an extremely smooth jumper, and I think he is one of those guys who can thrive in almost any era, which you can’t say about some guys on this list. 
• Duncan:
  • Career Stats: 19 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 2.2 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 2-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 10-time First Team All NBA, 8-time First Team All Defense.
  • The guy lived up to his nickname as ‘The Big Fundamental’ as he was not a guy who would wow you with his flashiness or was a big personality. He just went out onto the court, knew what his job was and more often than not, did it. When the game was on the line, he would show up and execute. One of the best winners in league history as he has the most wins in the regular season for a player who played for one team with 1,001.
• Bryant:
  • Career Stats: 25.0 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 18-time All Star, 4-time All Star Game MVP, 11-time First Team All NBA, 9-time First Team All Defense. 
  • It is unfortunate that Bryant’s life got cut tragically short and he will be unable to attend his Hall Of Fame induction. The guy was the ultimate competitor, the ‘Mamba Mentality’ became something that players feared. Second most points in a single game in NBA history with 81. In his final game, he scored 60 points. He was the closest thing to Jordan we have ever seen. A legend that died too young.
• O’Neal:
  • Career Stats: 23.7 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, 2.3 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 4-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP, 8-time First Team All NBA, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • The most dominant player in NBA history, without question. Compared to Russell, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal would probably beat all of them. He changed how the NBA was played because of how good he was, had multiple rules changed because of some of the things he would do on the basketball court. The guy had an electric personality and that showed in his many nicknames and that translated to his play on the court.

As promised, I said I would give my top 10 list for the ten greatest players in NBA history. This is strictly my opinion, but here is how I thought ESPN should have done their rankings.

1. Jordan
2. James
3. Johnson
4. Abdul-Jabbar
5. O’Neal
6. Duncan
7. Bryant
8. Bird
9. Chamberlain
10. Russell

Let me know your list of the top-10 NBA players of all time on social media, @usports on Twitter and Instagram

Former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal made a heartfelt gesture on Saturday by covering the costs of a funeral for an 11-year-old child who died in a car accident a couple weeks ago near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Retired chief deputy officer from the Lafayette City Marshal’s Office, Phil Conrad, told TMZ sports that O’Neal paid a “few thousand” to the family once he learned they were low on funds and couldn’t afford the funeral.

The crash occurred when an adult ran a stop sign while driving with four minors. The vehicle reportedly went into a ditch and then hit a tree leaving 12-year old Trayvon Alexander and 11-year-old Keshon Batiste dead. Conrad later said  that Alexander’s funeral was covered by insurance but Batiste’s wasn’t.

O’Neal, who attended Louisiana State University, learned about the situation from local news’ outlets and asked his good friend Conrad for more details. “(Shaq) called me and asked me to reach out to the family on his behalf, and get back with him.” Conrad told Virginia news outlet WAVY-TV. “When I called him back and told him that the family had raised over $3,000 in a GoFundMe, but was still short of what they needed, he immediately stopped what he was doing and sent the money to me, and I wrote out a check.”

Conrad later mentioned that Shaq intended to pay for the expenses of both families, before he found out the Alexander’s were covered.

“He’s a big man, and his heart is even bigger,” Conrad added. “He would truly give you the shirt off his back; you probably can’t fit it, but he would give it too you anyway. I’ve seen a few of his incredible gestures and will admit a time I was brought to tears.”

Conrad recalled a recent experience at Best Buy in Acadiana, Lousiana, when Shaq bought a family of seven new TVs. “A woman and her son were standing in line to pay for an X-box that the kid had been saving his money for and Shaq struck up a conversation with the mother. He learned that her family of seven all shared a small home, with one small television.”

Conrad said Shaq paid for three TVs, one for every bedroom, and bought the kid every Xbox game in the store. “That’s just him, he knows what it’s like to window shop and so he wants to make some dreams come true.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Since the release of Netflix’s docu-series Tiger King which is based on the controversial life of exotic animal zoo-keeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, animal rights activists have expressed outrage over the mistreatment of animals by a man who claims to be the most prolific tiger breeder.

During the series, Shaquille O’Neal is shown visiting the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, a park owned by Maldonado-Passage who is more commonly known as “Joe Exotic.” The footage shows O’Neal interacting with tiger cubs alongside Joe but the footage is from a YouTube video published in 2014, and O’Neal wants to be clear that just because he visited the park and enjoyed his time there, doesn’t mean he supports anything Joe’s done.

O’Neal later clarified his appearance on the docu-series on Wednesday’s episode of The Big Podcast With Shaq.

“So we go in there, and it’s a beautiful place, and the character that was there was Exotic Joe. We’re there and I dropped some donations for the tigers’ foods and all that,” O’Neal said. “We take pictures with (the) tigers. We went back a couple times. Then we go back another time and we found out that he’s involved with all the stuff, and then, actually, I stopped going.”

O’Neal also mentioned he was unaware of Joe’s criminal behavior and expressed his fascination with tigers.

“I don’t harm tigers. I love tigers. I love white tigers. Do I put donations to these zoos to help these tigers out? I do it all the time. Do I own tigers personally at my house? No. But I love tigers. Listen, people are going to make their own opinions, but, again, I was just a visitor. I met this guy — not my friend. Don’t know him. Never had any business dealings with him, and I had no idea any of that stuff was going on.”

A memorial was held for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Tuesday to honor their memories after they perished with seven others in a helicopter crash on January 26. Among those in attendance were Shaquille O’Neal, Jimmy Kimmel, Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and Tim Duncan. The ceremony also featured performances by Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, made her first public appearance since the tragedy to pay tribute to her daughter and husband. Vanessa addressed the Staples Center crowd and said, “I couldn’t see him as a celebrity nor just an incredible basketball player. He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was mine. He was my everything. Kobe and I had been together since I was 17 and a half years old. I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidante and his protector. He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

She continued, “I have no idea how I deserved a man that loved and wanted me more than Kobe. He was charismatic, a gentleman. He was loving, adoring and romantic. He was truly the romantic one in our relationship. I looked forward to Valentine’s Day and our anniversaries every year.”

While she spoke, Kobe’s No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys were lit up in the rafters.

“We had always talked about how we would be the fun grandparents to our daughters’ children,” she said. “He would have been the coolest grandpa. Kobe was the MVP of girl-dads, or MVD. He never left the toilet seat up. He always told the girls how beautiful and smart they are. He taught them how to be brave and how to keep pushing forward when things get tough.”

Vanessa then described her memories of Gianna and her love for women’s sports.

“She gave the best hugs and the best kisses,” she said. “She had gorgeous soft lips like her daddy. She would hold me and hug me so tight. I could feel her love me. Gigi would have mostly likely become the best player in the WNBA. She would have made a huge difference for women’s basketball. Gigi was motivated to change the way everyone viewed women in sports. She wrote papers in school defending women and wrote about how the unequal pay difference of the NBA and WNBA leagues wasn’t fair.”

She later voiced her emotion about not being able to watch Gianna grow up and how painful it’s been to face that hardship. “I won’t be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day,” she said. “I’ll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance with her daddy, dance on the dance floor with me or have babies of her own.”

Michael Jordan revealed his special relationship with Kobe and his determination to be great in all facets of life.

“He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be, and as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be,” Jordan said as he teared up. “To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late-night calls or the dumb questions. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant. … He was just trying to be a better person. We talked about business, we talked about family, we talked about everything.

“In retirement, he seemed so happy, he found new passions and he continued to give back as a coach and his community,” Jordan said. “More importantly, he was an amazing dad, amazing husband. Kobe never left anything on the court, and I think that’s what he would want for us to do.”

O’Neal spoke about the Lakers’ dynasty in the early 2000’s, their friendship and Kobe’s competitive drive.

“Kobe was a loyal friend and a true renaissance man,” O’Neal said. “As many of you know, Kobe and I had a very complex relationship throughout the years, but not unlike another leadership duo, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, whose creative rivalry led to some of the greatest music of all time. Kobe and I pushed one another and played some of the greatest basketball of all time, and I am proud that no other team has accomplished what the three-peat Lakers have done since Shaq and the Kobe Lakers did it.”

The ceremony concluded with a screening of Bryant’s Oscar-winning short film, Dear Basketball.

Shareef O’Neal, son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has announced he will be following his father’s path by transferring out of UCLA and heading to LSU.

O’Neal, who played 13 games for UCLA this season, announced last month that he will be transferring to LSU.

“Real big footsteps,” he said of his decision. “But I’m ready for it. Great program. Louisiana is a different scene. I’ve been in L.A. most of my life, but I’m ready for it.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

O’Neal was forced to sit out his first season at UCLA after being diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery for which he underwent open-heart surgery to correct the problem.

He also shared with Sports Illustrated the final text he received from Kobe Bryant before his sudden death on January 26. Bryant would regularly check in on him and now the message is the background on his cellphone.

His chance at continuing a legacy is set up for him. His dad, Shaquille, starred for the school from 1989-92 and was a two-time All-American.

A statue of Shaq dunking is outside the men’s practice facility, which was installed in 2011.

Shareef O’Neal, a UCLA basketball freshman and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal‘s son, announced Thursday his heart procedure was successful.

Shaq’s son Shareef O’Neal Has Open Heart Surgery

The 18-year-old power forward shared a photo on Twitter of himself laying in a hospital bed.

“I made it,Thank you for all the love and support! I really appreciate all your thoughts and prayers, that’s what helped me through this surgery,” O’Neal wrote. “I’m on the road to recovery, and I’ll be back soon…better than ever.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

O’Neal is expected to take a medical redshirt leave for all of the 2018-19 season. He has yet to suit up for the Bruins, as he was discovered to have had heart problems before the season started.

The youngster is the second-highest-ranked recruit for UCLA. He committed to the Bruins in February after receiving offers from any other teams, including Baylor, Arizona, Georgetown and Cal.

O’Neal recently shared several Christmas photos of him and his family on Twitter.

Shaq recently took two weeks off from his gig as a commentator on NBA on TNT because of his son’s open heart surgery, a decision that reportedly prompted co-host Charles Barkley to seemingly question why this choice was necessary.

“Is he having surgery again next week? Barkley asked on Thursday of Shareef O’Neal.

Shaquille O’Neal offered LeBron James some broad advice this week regarding the rest of his career, now that the Cleveland Cavaliers star is set to become a free agent: don’t pursue more titles.

Shaq On LeBron James Winning NBA Titles

“My problem toward the end of my career was I was trying to shut everybody up and I was greedy [for more championships],” O’Neal told ESPN. “After I got to three [titles], everybody was saying I couldn’t get another. So I got four. After I got the fourth, they were saying I couldn’t get another one. So I was trying to make quick stops to get it. Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston.”

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

Over the course of 19 years in the NBA, O’Neal, 46, won three titles with the Los Angels Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. His last championship came with the Heat in 2006, five years before he retired with the Boston Celtics.

James, 33, has made it to eight straight NBA Finals. A three-time NBA champion, he won two national titles with the Heat (2012, 2013) and one with the Cavaliers (2016). This year, Cleveland was swept 4-0 in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors, who have won three championships in the last four years.

A three-time Finals MVP and 14-time All-Star, James has played in the NBA since 2003, when he was drafted out of high school as the first overall pick by the Cavs. He has a player option on his current contract with Cleveland.

Should James decline this player option, he would become an unrestricted free agent, thus teams could start vying for him on July 1. Rumors have been swirling over the possibility of James ending up with the Lakers alongside other major NBA stars like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. 

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

O’Neal emphasized that the King doesn’t need to win any more NBA titles because James has already cemented his legacy as one of the best players in the league.

“Somebody told me a long time ago — they said your book is already set [before the later stages of your career]. You can add index pages toward the end, but your book is already set. So LeBron’s book is already set,” O’Neal said, before going on to say that James shouldn’t worry about competing with Warriors star Steph Curry about who has more rings. (Curry also has three NBA titles)

“He done already passed up legends; he done already made his mark — he has three rings,” O’Neal continued. “His mentality now is probably: I want to get four before Steph does. That’s probably his mentality now. But if I was him, I wouldn’t be trying to get four, five and six because it ain’t going to matter. It’s just something else to talk about, something else to add to the pages. He’s a legend, talked about as who is the best between he and Michael Jordan, so he’s set.”

Shareef O’Neal, son of Shaquille O’Neal, officially committed to UCLA on Tuesday night.

Shaquille O’Neal son UCLA commitment news

The power forward — who is a high school senior from Santa Monica, California — announced the news on Instagram, and joked that his mom was happy he wouldn’t be traveling far for college.

Shareef cancelled his commitment to Arizona on Saturday, one day after ESPN reported that FBI wiretaps intercepted phone conversations between Arizona coach Sean Miller and Christian Dawkins, a runner for former ASM Sports agent Andy Miller.

Sean Miller did not coach in Arizona’s loss to Oregon on Saturday night.

The 6-foot-9 Shareef O’Neal from Crossroads School is ranked No. 29 in the 2018 class. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit with the California Supreme AAU program last spring and summer.

The UCLA Bruins entered the week with the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation, consisting of five-star center Moses Brown and ESPN 100 prospects Jules Bernard, David Singleton III and Tyger Campbell, as well as high-potential big man Kenny Nwuba. The Bruins are the first school in the country to land five ESPN 100 prospects in the 2018 class.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Former NBA player and commentator Shaquille O’Neal looks on prior to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

LeBron James moved past former teammate Shaquille O’Neal for seventh place on the all-time NBA scoring list with his 28,597th career point in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 99-93 loss to the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday night.

LeBron Passes Shaq For Seventh in NBA Scoring, Bulls Beat Cavs 99-93

James has moved up from 12th on the scoring list, and added two more points to get 28,599, three more than O’Neal. Ahead of the Cavs star are the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki in sixth place with 30,181 and Wilt Chamberlain with 31,419.

The 32-year-old James, a four-time MVP, scored 26 points on Wednesday and praised O’Neal, despite his frustration with the loss, Cleveland’s third straight and fifth in their last seven games.

“Shaq is an all-time great, and the most dominant player to ever play this game,” James said. “Much respect, he’s like a big brother of mine. Very extremely excited to see him get a statue outside of Staples Center. But I could care less about me passing him. Means absolutely nothing.”

The defending NBA champion Cavs (47-27) are now a half-game behind Boston for the Eastern Conference lead.

”Just in a bad spot right now,” said James, who had 10 rebounds and eight assists. ”I’m not disappointed with the effort. Just in a bad spot. We need to figure it out.”

James is on the brink of becoming the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points in 13 straight seasons. He is still just under 10,000 points away from all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 38,387 points.

Michael Jordan holds the all-time record of 866 games straight games of at least 10 points.

Nikola Mirotic tied season highs with 28 points and six 3-pointers (his second consecutive game with both stats) and Jimmy Butler scored 25 for the Bulls.

”I feel it’s my time now. It’s never too late,” said Mirotic, who is now the first Bulls player to record six or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games. ”It’s a very important moment for the team.”

Rajon Rondo added 15 assists for Chicago and Robin Lopez had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The ninth-place Bulls moved within a game of Miami and Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.

Chicago also finished 4-0 against Cleveland to complete their first sweep of the Cavaliers since they won all three games during the 2011-12 season.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 for Cleveland, while Tristan Thompson added 15 points and nine rebounds. However, the Bulls outscored the Cavs 37-21 in the third quarter to erase a nine-point halftime lead and held on down the stretch.

Irving concurred with James that the Cavs will find their groove again soon despite this rough patch.

”We won’t be perfect in one day,” Irving said. ”But it’s no time to hold your head, I’ll tell you that. … We’re gonna be just fine. It’s ugly right now. It’s real, real ugly.”

Kevin Love fouled out with eight points and 10 rebounds when he got whistled on a basket by Butler moments after James tied O’Neal on a layup with 7:29 remaining in the game.

Cavs guard Iman Shumpert had four points and an assist in 22 minutes after missing two games because of a sore right knee. Forward Kyle Korver missed his second consecutive game because of a sore left foot. Richard Jefferson, meanwhile, sat out due to tendinitis in his left knee.

The Cavs, meanwhile, next host Philadelphia on Friday to begin a three-game home-stand.

The Bulls will host Atlanta on Saturday.

CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the second half against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.

JaVale McGee was mocked yet again by Shaquille O’Neal and his TNT “Inside the NBA” colleagues on Thursday night, and the Golden State Warriors center finally decided he’s had enough of Shaq’s taunts.

Warriors Defend JaVale McGee After Feud With Shaq

McGee, a nine-year NBA veteran, has been one of Shaq’s most frequent targets on the regular TNT segment “Shaqtin’ a Fool” over the years. However, since McGee has been playing relatively well on a strong team this season, Shaq recently said he would ease up on his jabs at the 29-year-old.

The former NBA star evidently mean he would stop right away. Shaq decided to show a spoof of the popular 2016 MARVEL superhero film Doctor Strange in which he showed a montage of McGee’s worst falls, trips, shots, and general mistakes on the court over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xmYklNjoRc

McGee unsurprisingly didn’t find the bit, which aired Thursday night on TNT, funny at all, and expressed his frustration with Shaq for ridiculing him like that. The Warriors center fired back on Twitter by suggesting Shaq might be “in love” with him.

Here is how McGee fired back at Shaq:

‘
This is where the beef got ugly, when Shaq responded:

McGee’s teammates and coaches, notably Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr, quickly defended the center, criticizing Shaq for his famous ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’ segment.
“You’re in this position where somebody on national TV is making fun of you night after night, it’s not the greatest thing for your reputation,” Kerr said. “I can tell you, I had a preconceived notion of JaVale before he got here that turned out to be totally false. And a lot of that was because of what goes on with Shaq’s ‘Shaqtin’ A Fool’ thing.”

Durant was harsher in his attack against O’Neal, pointing out the former NBA star’s own mediocre performances during his time as a player.

“Shaq was a s—y free-throw shooter. He missed dunks. He airballed free throws. He couldn’t shoot outside of the paint,” Durant said. “He was bigger than everybody. He didn’t have no skill, but he was bigger and stronger than everybody. And he’s still a great player, but you had your flaws, too, as a player. And he played on five or six teams, too. So it’s not like he was just this perfect center.”

It seems as though this feud could continue for quite some time.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Former NBA player and commentator Shaquille O’Neal looks on prior to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

It’s almost always funny to see NBA players posing for pictures with other athletes: the height disparity is usually more than noticeable, but one pair of sports stars took it to a whole other level.

Simone Biles Takes Photo With Shaq

Ahead of Super Bowl LI on Sunday, gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles took a photo with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. The picture may seem fake at first but it’s completely real, and Biles tweeted it:

That’s a great photo, and the 4-foot-9, 19-year-old Biles looks tiny compared to the towering Shaq.

Golf player John Daly also recently took a photo of himself with a tall, former NBA star: Chinaman Yao Ming. Daly also shared the picture on Twitter, saying in one of his hashtags: “His putter is as long as my driver” (all in one word).

Both seem like great opportunities.

Biles also introduced the “Ragged Old Flag” video before Sunday’s Super Bowl. The clip, introduced by Biles and singer Harry Belafonte, featured picturesque scenes across the United States while Johnny Cash’s song of the same name played in the background.

The video’s main intent seemed to be to remind us that, no matter how great our differences in political views may be, we are still one nation.

Following a brief message from Belafonte regarding the rights of all Americans, Biles states: “Our forefathers got it right 240 years ago. Equality, freedom, they belong to us all. And in case we falter in our ways, they wrote it down for us to always remember and cherish. We, as Americans, have a duty to uphold and protect those rights. That is what unifies us. And the symbol of our unity has 50 stars and 13 stripes.”

Here is the video:

The video was just one of the many politically-charged commercials that aired before or during this year’s Super Bowl as a reflection of the turbulent and divisive times America currently finds itself in.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 16: Gold medalist Simone Biles of the United States celebrates on the podium at the medal ceremony for the Women’s Floor on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Shaquille O’Neal is obviously known as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but on Thursday, the 44-year-old former Lakers star showed off his football catching and tackling skills.

Watch: Shaq Tackles Charles Barkley To The Ground ON TNT’s ‘Inside The NBA’

Fresh off Randy Moss claiming he could have been an NBA star, the future NFL Hall of Famer invited TNT’s Inside the NBA crew to play football with him. The legendary receiver threw a pass to Charles Barkley, and O’Neal-alias ‘Shaq’–blindsided Barkley with a huge tackle that sent him tumbling down to the ground.

Shaq was just getting started, however, since he followed that up with a tackle of Kenny Smith.

Moss, Smith, Kevin Garnett, Barkley, Shaq, and Ernie Johnson also attempted to throw a football into the basketball hoop on the set. None of them succeeded on their first attempt.

Watch the crew have a good time here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPenxt1g8Jw/

The playtime on the set comes eight months after a wrestling match between O’Neal and Barkley resulted in the Round Mound of Rebound Barkley’s backside on the rug of a studio.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Former NBA player and commentator Shaquille O’Neal looks on prior to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Shaquille O’Neal, nicknamed ‘Shaq,’ will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday night.

Shaquille O’Neal To Be Inducted Into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame

In his incredible 19-year NBA career, Shaq proved to be one of the league’s most charismatic players. The 44-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers center headlines this year’s Hall of Fame class, which also includes former NBA guard Allen Iverson, former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and current Michigan State men’s coach Tom Izzo, former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, longtime NBA referee Darell Garretson, former coach John McLendon and former players Zelmo Beaty and Cumberland Posey. 

”It means I put in a lot of hard work, and it means a lot to be mentioned with the elites,” O’Neal told reporters. ”It means people were able to appreciate how I played.”

O’Neal’s former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, who retired from the NBA in April after 20 seasons, took to Instagram on Thursday to congratulate Shaq, calling him the most dominant big of all time. Despite fighting with each other a few times when they played for the Lakers, they still won three NBA championships together from 2000-2002.

Dozens of other former and current NBA players have expressed their congratulations to O’Neal over the past week. The former LSU star will be presented at his Hall of Fame induction by four former NBA greats – Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Isaiah Thomas and Alonzo Mourning.

”He dominated in every sense of the word, bringing both a physicality and personality the game had never seen and will likely never see again,” Thomas said. ”Congratulations to a legend, a winner and a true original. It is an honor to escort you into the Hall of Fame.”

O’Neal announced his retirement in 2011 via a video, whose link he posted to his Twitter account.

”I’m already above where I wanted to be – all I needed was to win one championship,” O’Neal said. ”Then I got one, then two, three, then four. The thing about me is that I did it my way.”

In addition to being a player of great imposing physical size, (he stands at 7-foot-1, 325 pounds) Shaq is also remembered as a player with a great sense of humor. During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, he excited the crowd by dancing with Jabbawockeez during pre-game introductions.

O’Neal provided more laughs during Thursday’s jacket ceremony for the inductees when he pretended to slip before strutting across the stage in his bright orange Hall of Fame jacket. O’Neal also rose from his seat to quickly assist in helping Yao put on his jacket.

O’Neal was selected by the Orlando Magic as the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in the 1992 NBA Draft.

He and his coach from his time at LSU, Dale Brown, are very close.

“I chose to come to LSU because Coach Brown knew me when I was a nobody and he was always consistent,” O’Neal said.

The center made such a tremendous impact with the Tigers that the university unveiled a giant, 900-pound bronze statue of him in a dunking pose in front of the Tigers’ new basketball practice facility in 2011. Shaq finished as LSU’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,941 career points and ranks second overall in career rebounds with 1,217.

”He’s got so many qualities,” Brown said. ”I never had a problem with him –  well I did one time when he skipped a class. I got him by running him at 5 in the morning. But I can’t wait to see him. He’s a very special man who doesn’t take himself too serious.”

HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Former NBA player and commentator Shaquille O’Neal looks on prior to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

During his annual address before Game 1 of the NBA Finals — a rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he would use his “bully pulpit” to seek the end of the intentional fouling of bad free throw shooters.

Silver Seeks The End Of Hack-a-Shaq

Commonly called the Hack-a-Shaq strategy due to Shaquille O’Neal‘s poor free throw shooting during his career, the tactic was first used by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson against Dennis Rodman before it was utilized to neutralize O’Neal’s dominance in the post.

In the modern NBA, teams have occasionally used the Hack-a-Shaq to throw opposing offenses out of rhythm and limit their scoring.  Centers Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets and DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers are the most high profile victims of the Hack-a-Shaq strategy.  For the 2015-16 season, Howard shot 49% from the free throw line, while Jordan shot 43%.

Silver mentioned that the league saw a two-and-a-half times increase in intentional fouls this season from 2014-15, and  has seen a 16-fold increase over the past five years.

Silver dove into the NBA’s research to tell how the fouls effect the game.  “Not only is that something that is bad for our network partners, but for all the fan research we have shows the fans hate it,” Silver said.  “There may be a compromise in there where we can cut it down significantly.”

Should the NBA get rid of intentional fouls?  If they do, it feels like like a cop out.  Howard earned over $22 million this season and is expected to opt-out of his contract to enter free agency, where he wants around $30 million per year.  Jordan signed a 4 year/$88 million deal this past offseason.  Another target of the Hack-a-Player, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, shot 36% from the line this season and is expected to receive a max deal as a free agent this offseason.

These players are making millions of dollars for playing a game, and you’re telling me that Adam Silver wants to change the rules of the whole league cause a handful of players can’t hit an uncontested shot from 15 feet away?  Most of the NBA players are able to go to college for free because of their ability to play basketball (out of Howard, Jordan, and Drummond, only Howard entered the league from high school).

Not everyone in the league shares Silver’s view on the strategy.  Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban said, “If Adam wants to get rid of Hack-a-Shaq, he’s wrong. Dead wrong,”

In a similar view, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant said:

I definitely share Durant and Cuban’s view, by banning the Hack-a-Shaq, Silver would be bailing out players with a significant flaw in their game. If coaches and players want the hacking to end, then learn how to make a free throw. The rules shouldn’t be changed to help out a few players in the league.

Kobe Bryant has turned down an offer from TNT to reunite with Shaquille O’Neal as part of the cast of Inside the NBA alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and several other big names who have sat at the long desk at some point.

Kobe Bryant Rejects Offer To Join Shaq ON ‘Inside The NBA’

The former 37-year-old shooting guard, who retired in April after spending his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was reportedly intercepted on Wednesday by TMZ Sports reporters who asked if he had any interest in joining the show. Bryant, nicknamed “The Black Mamba,” simply answered “No,” and hopped into the back of an SUV and left without adding an explanation.

The NBA legend did confirm, however, that he’ll be training O’Neal’s teenage son Shareef this summer.

According to TMZ:

When it comes to the “Inside the NBA” job offer, Kobe Bryant just did something pretty uncommon for him — he passed.

The honchos at the show had reached out to Mamba, hoping he’d join Charles Barkley, Shaq and the rest of the gang either this season or next.

There’s still some good news for Shaq though — Bryant says he’s pumped about training Diesel’s son, Shareef O’Neal, over the summer

Surely, it won’t be long before Bryant reveals his actual post-retirement plans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLW6Ku2mU4E

PHOTO: BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MAY 03: Retired NBA Champion, CEO, Kobe Inc., Kobe Bryant speaks onstage during 2016 Milken Institute Global Conference at The Beverly Hilton on May 03, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

A handful of the the most dominant players in NBA history are now going to be immortalized at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Shaq, A.I., And Yao Among 10 Inducted To Hall of Fame

Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Yao Ming are the biggest names of the 10 member Hall of Fame Class of 2016.  Shaq was perhaps the most physically dominant player in NBA history and made an impact right away in 1992 after being taken first overall by the Orlando Magic out of LSU, where he was the College Player of the Year.  With his gargantuan 7’1”, 325-pound frame, O’Neal quickly established himself as a force in the Association.  In one of the most dominant rookie season ever, “The Diesel” averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game, winning Rookie of the Year.

Shaq, a man of many nicknames like “Superman”, “The Great Aristotle”, and “Shaq Fu”, said watching movies as a youngster helped motivate him.  “In all your karate movies, you’ve got the young karate warrior and he goes all these places and he sees all these masters and he has to take them out,” O’Neal said. “So I was gunning for everybody. I was gunning for all the superstars, I was gunning for all the big guys, because I wanted their spot and that was my motivation.”

The 19-year veteran said he did not plan to add to his nickname resumé other than “Hall of Famer.”  Over his career, O’Neal was the NBA MVP in 2000, won four NBA Titles, three with the Lakers (2000-02) and one with the Heat (2006), he was the NBA Finals MVP for all the Lakers’ titles.  He was named to the All-NBA First Team eight times, the All-Star game 15 times, and has had two different jerseys retired, number 34 by the Lakers and number 32 by the Heat.

Iverson was one of the most explosive scorers during his 14 year career.  The speedy 6’0”, 175-pound shooting guard led the league in scoring (31.1 PPG) in 2001, being named the NBA MVP.

Iverson spent the first 10.5 and his final season in Philadelphia, who drafted first overall in 1996 out Georgetown, where he set the career high mark for points per game (22.9) and won thee Big East Defensive Player of the Year in both of his seasons there.

In the NBA, Iverson won the scoring title in 1999, 2001-02, and 2005, and led the league in steals in 2001-03.  He led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001 against O’Neal and the Lakers.  Being heavy underdogs, the Sixers stole Game 1 from LA behind Iverson’s 48 points.  The game was the only loss of the postseason for the Lakers, who won the next four games.

Talking to the AP Iverson said that he still gets asked by fans about ‘Practice?’  “I’m in the Hall of Fame and I can go outside today and go to a restaurant or whatever and somebody will say to me: `Practice? We talking about practice,”‘ he said with a laugh, adding that even his children mock him for the 2002 news conference in which he repeated the phrase about 20 times. “Man, I am a Hall of Famer and that’s all you can think about – me saying practice.”

Iverson’s career scoring average of 26.7 ranks seventh all-time.  His number 3 was retired by Philadelphia on March 1, 2014.

Easily the most controversial selection, Yao Ming was as hard to defend as anyone in the league when he was healthy.  At 7’6, 310 pounds, the top pick in 2002 from China towered above giants like Shaq.

In the first matchup between Ming and O’Neal, Yao recorded 3 blocked shots on Shaq in the first three minutes.  Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks.  O’Neal totaled 31 points and 13 rebounds.

In his four seasons where he played more than 70 games, Yao averaged 17.3 points, 8.8 rebonds, and 1.9 blocks per game.  His career was ravaged by injuries beginning in his fourth season in 2005-06.  Ming played in 57 games that year and then just 48 and 55 the following two seasons before being healthy for 77 games in 2008-09.  During his injury shortened seasons in 2005-08, Ming averaged 23.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 1.8 BPG.

Ming retired following another injury shortened season in 2010-11, appearing in only 5 games.  Despite his limited playing career, Yao had a monumental impact in bridging the Chinese and American fans of the NBA.  In 2005, Yao set a NBA record by receiving 2,558,278 total votes for the All-Star Game.

Among the other inductees is Tom Izzo, the head basketball coach at Michigan State, who has amassed 524 wins in his career with the Spartans and won the title in 2000 and has been in 7 Final Fours.

Sheryl Swoopes was also inducted.  Swoopes was the first woman to sign to the WNBA when it formed in 1996.  Swoopes was a four time WNBA Champion with the Houston Comets (1997-2000), the WNBA MVP in 2000, 2002, and 2005, and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2000, 2002, and 2005, she was also a six time All-Star.

The other nominees are Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, NBA referee Darrell Garretson, coach John McLendon, and former players Zelmo Beatty and Cumberland Posey, who will be enshrined posthumously.

While he also spent time with the Magic, Heat and Suns, Shaquille O’Neal‘s best years came as a Los Angeles Laker. And with the legendary big man’s presumed hall of fame induction getting closer, the Lakers are taking another step to honor Shaq.

During the 2016-17 season, the team will unveil a statue of the center outside the Staples Center; he’ll join Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Wayne Gretzky, Oscar de la Hoya, Chick Hearn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Luc Robitaille in what is known as Star Plaza.

“We look forward to having Shaq join the other legends who have been honored with statues at STAPLES Center,” said Lakers President and co-owner Jeanie Buss. “He is a giant not only in size, but also in stature and in what he accomplished as a Laker. Shaq literally broke the ground for the site, and was hugely responsible for not only getting STAPLES Center built, but for making it one of the most successful and famous arenas in the world. It’s an honor that is well deserved.”

The statue will depict O’Neal hanging from the rim after one of his signature dunks, as was revealed to him on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Photo: TV personality/retired basketball player Shaquille O’Neal onstage at The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber at Sony Pictures Studios on March 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)