Many celebrities have spoken fondly about HBCUs and have even said they wished they attended one, but Shaquille O'Neal actually had a time as an HBCU student. The multi-time NBA All-Star and Inside The NBA crew member has several connections with HBCUs through his philanthropy as well as his son Shaquir O'Neal, but Shaq revealed an untold story of his time as an HBCU student at Southern University in a live edition of his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq.

An attendee at the event asked O'Neal how he supports HBCUs, and he gave an interesting reply.

“My son was just at [an], HBCU…FAMU until the portal thing. He went into the portal, but I always supported it was an HBCU that help me graduate from LSU. A lot of people don't know the story, but I had to transfer to Southern for summer school. So it, I mean, I've always been a big supporter.”

He then went on to talk about how he wish he attend an HBCU as a full-time student, and had praise for the 2025 SWAC Tournament, which was held in the Atlanta area and featured his son's former team, Florida A&M.

“Going there, the flavor, the feeling—like, sometimes I sit and I say, ‘Man, I wish I would've went to an HBCU,' because I went to the HBCU tournament when it was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago. And the DJs, the culture, the band, the cheerleaders—it's just fun. And I'm a really big supporter of HBCUs.”

Shaquille O'Neal attending an. HBCU at the height of his dominance would've been an interesting sight to behold. He would've undoubtedly been the best player in the nation and led Southern University men's basketball to immense success and even a March Madness run.

But, even with him attending LSU as a full-time student, he boasts a tie to HBCUs through his membership in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, which was founded at Howard University in 1911.