The New York Knicks have done something nobody has seen in a very long time: they’ve made Shaquille O’Neal admit he was wrong.
That’s right. Mark the calendar.
The Big Diesel recently offered a public apology to Knicks fans everywhere after New York stormed its way into the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks completed a dominant sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers and punched their ticket to their first Finals appearance since 1999, leaving plenty of doubters scrambling to update their predictions.
Shaq was one of them.
After watching the Knicks pile up win after win, O’Neal decided it was time to own up to his earlier skepticism.
“They are so good. I owe the whole state and all five boroughs of New York City an apology,” Shaq said. He even gave special shoutouts to famous Knicks supporters including Spike Lee and Tracy Morgan.
When Shaq starts handing out apologies, you know something special is happening.
The Knicks have become one of the hottest teams in basketball. After a shaky start to the postseason, they’ve caught fire, rattling off an incredible winning streak and putting themselves just four victories away from ending a championship drought that stretches back more than five decades.
A huge reason for that success has been Jalen Brunson.
The star guard has been the engine that keeps everything running. But what has impressed Shaq most isn’t just Brunson’s scoring. It’s his ability to elevate everyone around him.
According to O’Neal, when opponents focus all their attention on stopping Brunson, the Knicks simply find another hero. Josh Hart has delivered big moments. Veteran sharpshooter Landry Shamet has knocked down key shots. Every player seems ready when their number is called.
That’s exactly the kind of basketball Shaq loves.
As the unofficial president of the “Big Man Alliance,” O’Neal also keeps a close eye on the league’s top centers. Naturally, Karl-Anthony Towns landed under the microscope.
While Towns may not be putting up the eye-popping numbers Shaq usually wants from a dominant big man, O’Neal has come to appreciate the role he’s playing within New York’s system.
Instead of forcing the action, Towns has embraced team basketball. He’s facilitating offense, making smart decisions, and helping create opportunities for his teammates. Sometimes the biggest contribution isn’t scoring 30 points—it’s making the entire machine run smoothly.
And that brings Shaq to perhaps his most interesting comparison.
Watching these Knicks reminds him of the 2004 Detroit Pistons team that defeated his star-studded Lakers squad in the NBA Finals. That Pistons group wasn’t built around one massive superstar. Instead, they succeeded because they played together, trusted one another, and competed as a complete unit.
Sound familiar?
That’s exactly what Shaq sees in today’s Knicks.
They defend together. They move the ball. They fight for every possession. Most importantly, they seem genuinely connected as a team.
Whether New York can finish the job and bring a championship back to Madison Square Garden remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: they’ve already earned the respect of one of basketball’s biggest legends.
And if Shaq is willing to admit he got it wrong, maybe everyone else should start believing too.