Shaquille O’Neal is everywhere.
The NBA Hall of Famer seems to have countless commercials and endorsements that air on TV every single day, and they’re a mainstay on TNT’s NBA coverage all season long. It’s hard to miss him.
However, it appears O’Neill has been dodging lawyers representing FTX investors for months.
“In 30 years, I’ve never had to deal with a situation like this,” said Adam Moskowitz, an attorney representing FTX investors. Via The Wall Street Journal. “We will not go away.”
O’Neal is one of several celebrities and athletes named in a proposed lawsuit filed by FTX investors after the cryptocurrency company’s collapse. O’Neal has appeared — along with Tom Brady and ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, comedian Larry David, tennis star Naomi Osaka, and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, among others — in commercials promoting the company. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fred was arrested in January He was charged with wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering and more.
When it comes to O’Neill, lawyers can’t seem to serve him properly – something generally required to start a lawsuit.
According to the Wall Street Journal, plaintiffs’ attorneys tried and repeatedly failed to service O’Neal at his home and TNT studio. On one occasion, they said they “threw the legal papers on his fast-paced SUV.”
However, O’Neill claims he has simply “run past strangers lurking outside his house” and insists he is not slacking off on anyone.
The lawyers filed papers in court describing how they tried to serve O’Neill at his multiple homes and even at his ex-wife’s. They asked the judge if they could serve O’Neill via direct messages on social media, but that was closed. They even tweeted about it last month.
O’Neal’s legal team disputes the claims, even asking a judge to dismiss the case against him — though that was dismissed on Monday.
“Mr. O’Neill did not evade service by failing to be present at lodgings where plaintiffs attempted to serve late or by driving past strangers who approached his car,” the lawyers wrote via The Wall Street Journal. “The court should cancel the service and dismiss the claims against him.”
O’Neal is one of the most recognizable figures in the world of basketball. He’ll be a part of TNT’s coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals starting Wednesday night, too.
Although he has so far done a tremendous job of avoiding serving properly in the lawsuit against him, he probably can’t hide from her forever.
