Shaquille O’Neal Served Papers for FTX Lawsuit on the Job After Months of Evasion

Ahmad Austin Jr.May 25th, 2023, 12:55 pm
 
Shaquille O'Neal

Jakub Porzycki/AP

After months of avoiding process servers, the surprisingly-elusive Shaquille O’Neal has been served his process papers for the ongoing FTX lawsuit. It happened while he was covering an NBA playoff game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics — at the venue formerly known as the FTX Center.

According to Adam Moskowitz, the plaintiffs’ attorney in lawsuit, his law firm knew where O’Neal would be after watching the previous Heat-Celtics game.

“He was personally provided the papers, so he cannot raise his absurd delay tactics,” Moskowitz said in a statement. “We watched the prior Heat/Celtics game, so knew he would be in the outside broadcasting booth where fans were right next door.

“It seems absurd to have to go to such great lengths to serve Mr. O’Neal, who is deputy of the law. These claims now are very serious and thus it is good that we can start with the merits, instead of the silly service sideshow Mr. O’Neal unfortunately created.”

In the lawsuit, several celebrities — including O’Neal, Tom Brady and Steph Curry — are accused of defrauding investors of the cryptocurrency exchange. The three have appeared in advertisements for it, but O’Neal claims he was “just a paid spokesperson for a commercial.”

Despite maintaining his innocence, O’Neal proved to be difficult to track down by process servers. Attempts to serve him the papers were made at his homes and even the studio where TNT’s Inside the NBA is shot. In April, a server even threw them at his car as he was leaving his home in Georgia. Another attempted to serve him online through social media, but a judge denied the request.

As if O’Neal getting served at the former FTX Center — now the Kaseya Center — wasn’t ironic enough, O’Neal seemingly joked about the lawsuit with Curry before it happened.

“You’re my favorite player,” O’Neal said at the end of the interview. “Just wanna say congratulations, my brother, and thanks for getting me in trouble. Don’t say nothing. Be quiet.”

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

Filed Under: