Shaqir O’Neal is joined by his parents, Shaunie Henderson and Shaquille O’Neal, as they walk him onto the court for a pregame ceremony at Sacramento State on Monday.
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
When Shaqir O’Neal hugged his formidably famous father to cap a satisfying Senior Night experience, the slender 6-foot-8 Sacramento State forward leaned in to listen, and then laughed.
“He said, ‘Don’t get all your sweat on me! Don’t hug me!’” a beaming O’Neal said outside the Hornets’ team room on Monday night in the Pavilion. “He’s a funny jokester.”
The jokester was Shaq, or Shaquille O’Neal, or “The Big Aristotle,” or 15-time NBA All-Star center and Hall of Famer.
Shaq made his first visit to the Hornet Pavilion to watch Sac State play, doing so in a double role. His youngest son Shaqir played his final home game in his lone season with the Hornets. Shaq is also the Hornets’ general manager, instrumental in fundraising, recruiting and mentorship. He does so on a volunteer basis out of a friendship with Mike Bibby, Sac State’s first-year head coach and one-time fierce Sacramento Kings rival.
The 7-foot-1 and 300-something Shaq sat baseline, tucked toward the end of the Hornets bench. Before the game, he talked with Sac State administrators and personnel but was roped off otherwise from spectators and media. Shaq and Shaqir’s mother, Shaunie Henderson, walked onto the Pavilion floor with their son to pose for photos as the program recognized three seniors.
Shaq then soaked up a solid all-around effort by his son, who can play either forward spots and is a good shooter who can run the floor, thunder dunk and zip backdoor passes. In beating Idaho State 83-65 on Monday, Shaqir had a 3-pointer, a dunk and scored 7 points to go with four rebounds.
Shaqir averages 5.3 points on a team heavy on guard scoring. He played against power forwards out of necessity as the team has been ravaged by injuries. Shaqir is careful with the ball, averaging one turnover for every 30.8 minutes played, and he is reliable as the only Hornet to start all 29 games this season.
Shaq ducked out quietly after the game and did not mingle or sign autographs, per his norm, seemingly leaving the moment for the seniors. Shaqir signed scores of autographs later as the Hornets capped their home schedule at 10-4 heading into the Big Sky Conference Tournament that runs March 7-11 in Boise.
Sac State basketball was a big draw, setting program attendance records with overflow gatherings exceeding 3,000.
“It was amazing,” Shaqir said of the night.
Sacramento State Hornets forward Shaqir O’Neal (8) and Idaho State Bengals forward Connor Hollenbeck (10) battle for the ball during a game at Sacramento State on Monday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com Not easy being Son of Shaq
Shaqir said he appreciates any time with family, especially considering his father’s various roles in media and entertainment.
Shaqir grew up in Los Angeles and played his high school senior year in Georgia. No matter where he went, there was a steady theme: It’s not easy being the son of Shaq, with a name so familiar at that.
Shaqir said he hears the heckling and taunting on road games that he may be an O’Neal, but he is not Shaq. Fair enough. No one is Shaq — the player or the personality.
Shaqir certainly doesn’t have his father’s bulk, but he has a lot of his father otherwise. He is good to people, friendly to fans and campus faculty and personnel, and he has the same big smile. Shaqir said he is fine with having a low profile. He said he is proud of his father and to be the youngest son, even if the name carries a burden.
“I just block it out,” Shaqir said. “(Dad) has really helped with it. I didn’t realize how famous he was until I got a little older, and it was like, ‘Whoa!’ I still don’t know how big he is. I’m learning more and more about how famous he is. He’s a regular dude to me. It’s my dad.”
Shaqir was a 3-star prep prospect who bounced across the country as a prep and college player who has found a home with Sacramento State. He spent the first part of his collegiate career at Texas Southern, where he played in 40 games, and last season at Florida A&M, where he started 15 games.
“I think my season is pretty solid,” Shaqir said. “My decision to come here, it was the best decision I could have made. The coaching staff is great, the best I’ve had. They really care about you on and off the court, and they never gave up on me, no matter what. Mike Bibby, he’s been one of the realest guys I’ve met. It’s been good.”
Sacramento State Hornets forward Shaqir O’Neal (8) and Idaho State Bengals guard Lachlan Brewer (12) battle for rebound during a game at Sacramento State on Monday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Bibby said he is pleased with the season Shaqir has produced, expressing appreciation for his effort to play out of position and to play so hard. Mostly, Bibby said that Shaqir the young man is what defines him.
“He’s a great kid,” Bibby said. “That’s all you can really ask for. (His parents) brought him up well.”
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Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989: preps, colleges, Kings and features. He was in early 2024 named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California and he was in the fall of 2024 inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association. In 2021, he was honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award. He is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Davidson participated in football and track in Oregon.