NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is in the house for the Indiana Pacers' Game 3 vs. the New York Knicks on Saturday night, along with his Inside the NBA co-stars, though he began the evening getting posterized by Boomer, the Pacers' mascot.
As Shaq sat courtside, checking his phone well before tip-off, a discreet Pacers employee or fan donning a makeshift hoop sneaked behind him. Meanwhile, Boomer, just a few steps away, prepared his shot.
Once the hoop was in position, the mascot lunged toward O'Neal, who was seemingly did not suspect the dunk attempt and failed to block the shot. Boomer got the points, and Shaq was put on a poster. Gotta be quicker than that!
Watch that funny moment below:
Shaq got dunked on by @PacersBoomer 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/MYNbi5soYw
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 25, 2025
The Pacers will no doubt hope to recreate this moment during the game, when they'll be looking for a third consecutive win in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. After winning the first two contests in Madison Square Garden, Indiana will host the Knicks in Gainbridge Fieldhouse for tonight's battle and Game 4 on Tuesday, at which point Shaq—and the Knicks—better keep their heads on a swivel.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Indiana Pacers Mascot 'Dunked' on Shaq Ahead of Game 3 vs. Knicks.
