Shaquille O’Neal Had Strong Words Amid Final Broadcasting Appearance originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Saturday night marked the end of the road for the New York Knicks. After knocking out the Detroit Pistons and pulling off a stunning upset against the Boston Celtics, the Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Indiana controlled all four quarters and closed out the series with a dominant 125-108 home win. The victory sends the Pacers to the NBA finals for the first time since 2000, ending a 25-year drought. They now have a chance to claim their first NBA championship in franchise history.
For New York, the loss extends their title drought to 52 seasons. The last time the Knicks won it all was in 1973, back when Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Willis Reed were the stars at Madison Square Garden.
But the biggest headline after the game didn’t come from the court. It came from the TNT broadcast booth, where Shaquille O'Neal made waves with some strong words during his final appearance before the network hands off NBA coverage to ESPN.
"We not coming to [expletive] around," O'Neal said. "We kicking [expletive]. We taking over."
Shaq on moving to ESPN: "We not coming to f*** around. We kicking a**. We taking over." pic.twitter.com/euz0LNva4I
— Kit Espina (@KeithEspino22) June 1, 2025
Shaq announced he would be joining TNT in July of 2011, and later did that fall for the start of the NBA season. The crew has been him, alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley since then.
O’Neal, 53, is a four-time NBA champion and three-time finals MVP. He won the league MVP in 2000 and earned 15 All-Star selections throughout his legendary career.
A former LSU standout, O’Neal was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam was named Eastern Conference finals MVP after another standout performance. He played 36 minutes on Saturday, leading the Pacers with 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting. It marked his third game with 30 or more points in the series.
The 2025 NBA finals are set to begin on Thursday. The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the first two games before the series shifts to Indianapolis. The Thunder, who won 68 games during the regular season, enter as the heavy favorites. The Pacers reached the finals as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Related: NBA Sends Clear Message to Rick Carlisle Amid Playoffs
Related: LeBron James Makes Unexpected Statement Regarding Warriors
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
#Shaquille #ONeal #Strong #Words #Final #Broadcasting #Appearance