Sac State’s Shaqir O'Neal reacts to snap with father Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Ewing

Shaqir O'Neal was with two basketball legends in this year's NBA Playoffs. The Sacramento State star shared a photo of himself spending time with New York Knicks great Patrick Ewing and his father, four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal, on Instagram on Tuesday.

The get-together took place before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. Shaqir O'Neal had a smile when he shook hands with Ewing, who was at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to support his former team.

Shaqir O'Neal shared a photo of his meeting with Patrick Ewing on his Instagram story. Source: Instagram/@shaqironeall

The younger O'Neal paid tribute to the NBA greats by placing two GOAT emojis on his Instagram story. Shaquille O'Neal and Patrick Ewing are two of the greatest centers in the NBA. Both are members of the Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also part of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (1996) and the league's 75 Greatest Players (2021).

Ewing's Knicks suffered a huge blow on Tuesday night, losing 130-121 to the Pacers in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. New York had no answer for Tyrese Haliburton, who became the first player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 15 assists and zero turnovers in a playoff game.

The Pacers hold a 3-1 series lead and are just one win away from securing a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Coincidentally, it was Shaquille O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers that Indiana faced in that championship series.

Shaquille O'Neal joins forces with son Shaqir O'Neal at Sacramento State

Things looked bleak for the Sacramento State Hornets, who finished the 2024-25 season with a woeful 7-25 record, including a 3-15 slate in the Big Sky Conference. That all changed this offseason, signing former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby as their new coach and hiring Shaquille O'Neal as their new general manager.

Utah Utes guard Gabe Madsen (#55) goes to the basket against Florida A&M Rattlers forward Shaqir O'Neal (#8) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Photo: Imagn

The former LA Lakers star accepted Sacramento State's offer weeks after his son Shaqir O'Neal joined the Hornets from Florida A&M through the transfer portal. The incoming senior averaged 6.7 points and 3.4 rebounds through 29 games in his junior year with the Rattlers. He shot 50.3% from the field, including 37.5% from beyond the arc last season.