SACRAMENTO State couldn’t have found a bigger general manager for its basketball program — literally.
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is set to take on the job without pay, ESPN and the Sacramento Bee reported Monday.
The 7-foot-1 superstar already had a connection with the school: His son Shaqir transferred to Sacramento State last month after spending two seasons at Texas Southern and then last season at Florida A&M.
Shaquille O’Neal has another tie to the area, as he was a part-owner of the Sacramento Kings after his playing days.
The general manager role is a relatively new addition to college sports as schools adjust to a landscape that has been dramatically changed by the legalization of name, image and likeness (NIL) payments as well as widespread player movement thanks to the transfer portal.
Shaquille O’Neal, 53, won three NBA championships as a center for the Los Angeles Lakers (winning NBA Finals MVP each time) and another title with the Miami Heat. He was a 15-time All-Star in a career that included stints with the Orlando Magic (1993-94 to 1995-96), the Lakers (1996-97 to 2003-04), the Heat (2004-05 to 2006-07), the Phoenix Suns (2007-08), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10) and the Boston Celtics (2010-11).
Since 2011, O’Neal has been a commentator on TNT’s acclaimed “Inside the NBA” television show.
In March, Sacramento State hired former Sacramento Kings player Mike Bibby to be its head coach despite his lack of college coaching experience at any level. The Hornets went 7-25 last season under interim coach Michael Czepil. He took over after David Patrick left to become an assistant coach at LSU after two seasons in which Sacramento State went 24-42.
