Can we call it a reunion? As soon as the NCAA opened its transfer portal during March Madness, more than 800 players entered their names. Shaqir O’Neal’s transfer from Florida A&M to Sac State quickly became the offseason’s buzziest headline. The Hornets are overhauling their program, having also named Shaquille O’Neal as the program’s general manager. But here’s the twist few saw coming for both father and son. As the team gears up to bring in new recruits, Shaqir extended a warm gesture of support to the newest member of the roster.
A month before Shaqir’s arrival, Sac State stunned fans by hiring retired NBA All-Star Mike Bibby as head coach. The Hornets are yet to make it to the NCAA Tournament. So, the aim is clear for the team. While the former NBA player is set to bring his unique mindset, a new player will also join as a freshman guard, Mikey Williams, committed to Sacramento State. At UCF, Williams logged 18 games (five starts), averaging 5.1 PPG in 14 minutes per contest. And the most notable part is that both Williams and Shaqir had already met once in the past.
Before the action, Shaqir made a point to get in touch with Williams and reached out to him. They initially crossed paths in middle school. “Me and Shaqir got a cool relationship just going back previously but he hit me last night for my number so we tapped back in,” he said on Overtime.
June 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA former player Shaquille O’Neal with sons Sharif O’Neal and Shaqir O’Neal arrive on the red carpet for the 2019 NBA Awards show at Barker Hanger. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Williams further revealed that he had played alongwith Bronny James as well. “I’m from San Diego. He (Shaqir) from LA so that’s right there and we played basketball at the time that little point where I was like playing with Bronny and stuff probably like seventh grade; eighth grade. We was hanging out a little bit.” he said. Following Williams’ official commitment, both Shareef and Shaqir flooded his Instagram post with “See you in Sac Town, twin!” and “It’s up, twin!”
Apart from Williams, another star player to join the roster is Brandon Gardner. Both Williams and Shaqir commented on it. Expect big things from Sacramento State. The most surprising of all has to be the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
Who convinced Shaquille O’Neal to join the GM position for Sacrament0 State?
The Big Aristotle isn’t a big fan of coaching. He considers himself too “old school” and finds it hard to relate to the current generation of kids. In an earlier interview with PEOPLE, the Big Diesel admitted that he avoids attending his kids’ games because they tend to get nervous in his presence. However, his new business role at Sacramento State will require him to be more present at his son’s games, perhaps more than he would have preferred.
So, who convinced O’Neal to join the team? It was his former rival, Bibby. The two faced each other in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, which the Lakers won over the Kings in Game 7. The athletic director of Sacramento State, Mark Orr, revealed in an interview with Fox40 News that it was the now head coach who convinced O’Neal. “Yeah, I think first, it’s quite frankly, it’s Mike Bibby. Coach Bibby’s had a long-time relationship with Shaquille, and we’re fortunate to be able to capitalize on that,” Orr said.
Furthermore, Orr also revealed how O’Neal’s new position with the team is expected to bring a lot of positive changes. He wants the Big Aristotle to lend his expertise to “in-game entertainment.”
Shaq’s GM role could accelerate Sac State’s push for FBS status. As of now, the school has submitted a waiver to the NCAA, which is currently under review. So, it indeed seems like the university is set for big changes as new key members join the roster.
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