NBA Hall-of-Famer and LSU Tigers legend Shaquille O’Neal walked across the stage on Saturday as he earned his master’s degree in liberal arts from LSU, finding a way to take a playful jab at fellow NBA legend Charles Barkley in the process.
Shaq earns his Masters from LSU 🎓@lsubasketball | #ForeverLSU pic.twitter.com/ExdEVN15OC
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— The Brand (@TheBrandLSU) May 16, 2026
As his name was called, it had a little addition to it.
“Shaquille ‘I hate Charles Barkley’ O’Neal” a faculty member read over the speakers. The crowd erupted in cheers as O’Neal walked across the stage to receive his degree.
He also took the podium as the commencement speaker for LSU’s class of Spring 2026.
“Your character will take you further than your resume,” O’Neal said. “Continue to be kind, continue to be humble.”
While he gave an inspiring speech over three minutes long, he didn’t waste the opportunity to troll Barkley one more time.
“Stay curious and open-minded about the world around you, this is a weird world we live in. One day, Charles Barkley was fat. The next day, he was skinny,” O’Neal joked. “I don’t know what happened, but this world is crazy.”
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
