The New York Knicks received an apology from Shaquille O’Neal after reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. O’Neal is the latest basketball personality to give the Knicks their flowers following their four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Shaq issued an apology to the city of New York and the entire Knicks fanbase.
“I owe the whole state and all five boroughs of New York an apology, so I want to apologize,” O’Neal said. “They are really good. They have it. It reminds me of that Detroit team that beat us my last year (with the Los Angeles Lakers). They just got a bunch of guys that are just together.”
O’Neal and the Lakers were beaten by the underdog Detroit Pistons team in the 2004 NBA Finals in five games. The Pistons have some similarities with the current Knicks roster, though Jalen Brunson is considered by many as a superstar.
That Pistons team didn’t have a superstar, but they still managed to outplay and outhustle Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and the rest of the Lakers.
Shaquille O’Neal Praises Karl-Anthony Towns
In the same interview, Shaquille O’Neal had nothing but praise for Karl-Anthony Towns for his performances in the 2026 NBA playoffs. O’Neal liked what Towns has been doing, though he would like to see him assert himself offensively like a true big man.
“KAT’s not really dominating like I want him to dominate,” Shaq said, via Newsweek. “But he’s really playing nice smooth basketball right now, getting everybody involved, initiating the offense from the top of the key, and they look good.”
Towns became the Knicks’ primary playmaker in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. They were down 2-1 at that point, and Mike Brown’s adjustment has been nothing short of impressive.
The Knicks have won 11 in a row, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the next two rounds to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Knicks NBA Finals Schedule
The New York Knicks will have plenty of rest before the NBA Finals, which will be televised live on ABC. Here is the schedule, with the Knicks starting their title quest on the road regardless of whether they face the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs.
- Game 1: June 3 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City or Frost Bank Center in San Antonio
- Game 2: June 5 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City or Frost Bank Center in San Antonio
- Game 3: June 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York
- Game 4: June 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York
- Game 5: June 13 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City or Frost Bank Center in San Antonio if necessary
- Game 6: June 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York if necessary
- Game 7: June 19 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City or Frost Bank Center in San Antonio if necessary
The Thunder are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. They defeated the Spurs in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Shaquille O’Neal Issues Apology to Knicks, Compares Them to Title-Winning Team