Shaquille O’Neal may have just added political controversy to his long list of larger-than-life headlines. The Hall of Fame center made waves over the weekend when he was spotted at UFC 314 in Miami warmly greeting President Donald Trump.
The interaction—a handshake, hug, and brief exchange—quickly went viral, drawing praise from some and sharp backlash from others, including former NBA player Etan Thomas.
Thomas, known not only for his time in the league but also for being a vocal activist, expressed his dismay on Instagram. He wrote:
“Dear Shaq: You’re one of the most dominant NBA players ever, you’re a business mogul who young athletes should study, what you do on Inside The NBA is must-see TV.”
“But with all due respect, when you publicly embraced Trump, you also publicly endorsed all of his ideologies. It’s a spit in the face to so many people who are being impacted by his plans.”
This moment has reignited a deeper debate about the public perception of celebrity interactions with controversial political figures. Trump, who attended UFC 314 alongside a lineup of conservative power players including Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Marco Rubio, was met with chants of “U-S-A” from the crowd.
His arrival at the Kaseya Center was nothing short of theatrical, walking in to the song “Taking Care of Business” and being greeted by UFC announcer Joe Rogan and Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy.
Shaq goes through the massive crowd just to shake Trumps hand 🫡 pic.twitter.com/x5CjdwMrLl
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) April 13, 2025
It was during the event that Shaq approached Trump, exchanged pleasantries, shared a handshake and hug, and even whispered something in the former president’s ear.
That interaction, caught clearly on camera, caused immediate speculation about Shaq’s political leanings, with many wondering if the NBA icon had aligned himself with the MAGA movement.
This stood in contrast to Shaq’s previously more neutral or occasionally critical stances on Trump, including when he responded to Trump’s infamous comments about Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime show.
The backlash on social media was swift. Some users labeled Shaq a “sellout,” while others accused him of normalizing harmful rhetoric by appearing so friendly with a deeply polarizing figure. Others, however, defended the interaction, saying it was a gesture of basic human decency or mutual respect at a public event, not an endorsement of political ideology.
Still, for someone as influential and visible as Shaquille O’Neal, such moments do not occur in a vacuum. Whether intentional or not, public displays of friendliness toward divisive figures can be seen as taking a stance—something Etan Thomas and many others made clear.
In an age where athletes are more socially and politically aware than ever before, Shaq’s actions at UFC 314 have added yet another layer to the ongoing conversation about responsibility, optics, and what it truly means when a celebrity embraces power in any form.
Whether this incident fades quietly or becomes part of a larger shift in Shaq’s public persona remains to be seen.
