Shaquille O'Neal showed love to HBCUs on Thursday's NBA on TNT coverage as he wore an Alabama State cardigan. While it seems like a small gesture to some, O'Neal's clothing choice added to the attention and fervor that the institution has gained since its resounding victory in the First Four tournament in March.

 

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This isn't Shaq's first time showing love for HBCUs. Just last month,  Shaq revealed an untold story of his time as an HBCU student at Southern University in a live edition of his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq.

An attendee at the event asked O'Neal how he supports HBCUs, and he gave an interesting reply.

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“My son was just at [an], HBCU…FAMU until the portal thing. He went into the portal, but I always supported it was an HBCU that help me graduate from LSU. A lot of people don't know the story, but I had to transfer to Southern for summer school. So it, I mean, I've always been a big supporter.”

He then went on to talk about how he wish he attend an HBCU as a full-time student, and had praise for the 2025 SWAC Tournament, which was held in the Atlanta area and featured his son's former team, Florida A&M.

“Going there, the flavor, the feeling—like, sometimes I sit and I say, ‘Man, I wish I would've went to an HBCU,' because I went to the HBCU tournament when it was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago. And the DJs, the culture, the band, the cheerleaders—it's just fun. And I'm a really big supporter of HBCUs.”

During the show, Shaq gave a shoutout to his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, highlighting the Alabama State chapter. His connection to HBCUs comes through his membership in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., which was founded at Howard University in 1911.