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[Saba Sports News] Shaqir O’Neal is teaming up with someone his dad once battled fiercely on the hardwood.
Shaqir, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, announced this week that he’s committing to Sacramento State University, just days after entering the transfer portal.
The twist? Sacramento State is now coached by none other than Mike Bibby—one of Shaq’s fiercest rivals from his playing days.
Bibby, recently hired as head coach, was a key figure in the early 2000s rivalry between the Sacramento Kings and Shaq’s Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams clashed in the playoffs in 2001 and 2002, with the Lakers winning both times.
Shaq was never shy about his disdain for those Kings squads, famously mocking them as “The Sacramento Queens” and regularly throwing shade at players like Vlade Divac and Doug Christie.
But time heals all wounds. Shaq later became a minority owner of the Kings (2013–2022), and now his son is suiting up for the team’s former floor general. Shaqir, 21, averaged 6.7 points per game last season at Florida A&M and becomes the first recruit under Bibby’s tenure.
Bibby, 46, is entering his first college coaching job, bringing experience from the high school and AAU levels. Landing a name like Shaqir is a strong start—and a fun full-circle moment for fans of that old Lakers-Kings drama.