‘Shaq, Really?’: Shaq’s Shocking New Title from Trump’s FBI Director Patel Sparks Backlash as Fans Question Where His Loyalty Lies
Shaquille O’Neal has spent decades collecting championships, trophies, business deals and television credits.
He has also amassed honorary distinctions, claiming titles that some people work years to obtain.
His latest designation, however, has shocked some fans who never expected to see him publicly aligned with one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial appointees.
The retired basketball star is now an honorary FBI special agent.
FBI Director Kash Patel presented O’Neal with the distinction during the FBI National Academy’s graduation ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 17.
The 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer appeared alongside 265 law enforcement professionals who completed Session 299.
“This session is historic,” Patel wrote on social media before doting on the athlete.
He called O’Neal “one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country,” the FBI lead then alleged, “graduated with this session and became an honorary FBI Special Agent.”
At the ceremony, Shaq gave some brief remarks, bringing some humor as he accepted his new title. He quickly made it clear that he came to celebrate the graduates.
“Continue to do what you do,” O’Neal told the class. “Some of you will go back to your regular jobs. Some of you will go to specialized training. Some of you will go do what I do, be undercover.”
The room erupted in laughter at the thought of the towering celebrity hiding in plain sight.
“Well, I was undercover,” Shaq responded.
“I just wanna say I appreciate you guys so much,” he continued. “I’m not here for this. I am here for you. I wanna look at you guys and say I appreciate you, I love you and thank you very much.”
The warm speech did little to quiet the outrage outside Quantico. Online, his fans focused on Shaq’s willingness to stand beside Patel and accept the honor.
“Shaq? Really?” one Facebook user wrote. Another said, “Say it ain’t so.”
“Guess Shaq is on the maga list now?” a third person asked. One commenter offered a different explanation. “He wants Shaq to be his bodyguard,” the person wrote.
Another declared, “Shaq is probably more qualified than Kash.”
The outrage was not sparked by the FBI ceremony alone. The honor, coupled with the time he seemed to have been cozied up with Trump a year earlier, intensified suspicions that O’Neal was moving closer to the president’s orbit.
O’Neal encountered Trump at UFC 314 inside Miami’s Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025. Viral footage showed Shaq approaching Trump at ringside and leaning down to shake his hand. The two maintained their clasp as O’Neal moved closer. Trump appeared to speak directly into Shaq’s ear during the brief exchange.
The moment looked friendly and familiar. To disappointed fans, it looked like more than a courteous hello. One critic claimed the public embrace amounted to an endorsement of Trump’s ideology. Others argued that O’Neal was merely greeting the president. Either way, it set off bells for those who see the New Jersey native as politically their ally.
Shaq and Trump were not strangers. O’Neal attended Trump’s 2005 wedding to Melania. The NBA All-Star even gave the newlyweds a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Actually, he has previously described Trump as a friend, although he criticized how Trump expressed his political views.
Trump supporters remembered a much sharper moment from 2023. O’Neal told Trump and other critics to “shut yo face” after they attacked Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance. That history left some conservatives questioning why Shaq was now receiving an honor from Patel, one of Trump’s most prominent loyalists.
Patel had criminal justice experience before joining Trump’s first administration. He worked as a public defender and later became a federal counterterrorism prosecutor. However, he was not a sworn police officer or FBI agent. His experience was legal and prosecutorial. The Associated Press detailed his background while examining concerns surrounding his nomination.
O’Neal followed a different path. He completed reserve officer training while maintaining his NBA career. He served with the Los Angeles Port Police and Miami Beach Police Department. He later joined the Doral Police Department and received a deputy designation in Clayton County, Georgia.
Shaq also has worked with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in community relations for the suburban Atlanta agency. His work has included youth outreach, violence prevention and support for families affected by crime.
His basketball résumé remains even more formidable. O’Neal won four NBA championships, three consecutive Finals MVP awards and the 2000 league MVP award. He earned 15 All-Star selections and entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
O’Neal closed his Quantico speech with one request.
“And if you see Charles Barkley, arrest him,” he joked.
The room laughed. Online, fans were still questioning who Shaq was standing beside and standing with.
Shaq just shook hands with President Trump…
Legendary.
pic.twitter.com/CZRq0RNAD0
— American AF
(@iAnonPatriot) April 13, 2025
