Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to longstanding feuds. With the NBA Finals shifting to Madison Square Garden this week, the legendary big man appears to have taken sides in an enduring beef that involves a former Knicks enforcer.
On Saturday, Shaq shared an Instagram story calling for Charles Oakley to be brought back to Madison Square Garden, so that he can watch the 2026 NBA Finals live.
“The Finals cannot begin without Charles Oakley in the building. Bring him back to the Garden,” the IG story read.
Back in 2017, Oakley was banned from Madison Square Garden after the 19-year NBA veteran reportedly went after Knicks owner James Dolan during a Knicks game. In the altercation, Oakley was seen shoving a security guard, which led to him being charged with assault and trespassing.
Dolan has since lifted the ban, but Oakley has refused invitations to attend Knicks games in MSG. Back in 2024, he claimed that he’d received an invite into the arena, only for MSG management to dispute that claim.
Ironically, O’Neal himself has had a history with Oakley. On the court, the two big men have fought hard against each other in the shaded lane on multiple occasions.
There’s also a story that Oakley told last year about Michael Jordan stepping between him and Shaq in a New York hotel. In an appearance on “The Art of Dialogue” podcast, Oakley claimed that he’d decided to confront O’Neal for being “disrespectful.”
After all of that, O’Neal has gone out of his way to call for Oakley to join the live crowd for Game 3. An appearance by the former Knick in MSG on Monday would be a huge surprise indeed.
“Don’t Say Things Are Blurry”: Shaquille O’Neal Calls Out Victor Wembanyama for Post-Game Comments Following Game 2
Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal has called out the biggest competitor in this year’s Finals for some comments he made after Game 2.
Hearing Victor Wembanyama say that things were “blurry” as he made blunders in the endgame, Shaq expressed his disappointment towards the Spurs’ main man.
“As the leader, you should probably say, ‘It’s on me.’ But don’t say things are blurry. If I’m anybody on the New York Knicks, I’m coming at his head,” O’Neal said on “Inside the NBA.”
Among other things, Wembanyama threw a pass that was not within Stephon Castle’s line of sight in the dying seconds of Game 2. The MVP finalist will have to rally the troops in the Spurs locker room when the series shifts to New York in Game 3.
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