Shaqtin’ a Fool? Netizens react after Shaq mistakenly says Billy Ray Bates is dead

Netizens were quick to call out NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal after he erroneously declared on-air that former NBA and PBA import Billy Ray Bates had passed away.

The mix-up happened during a segment on NBA on TNT while the panel discussed Cleveland guard TJ Jerome’s 28-point outing in Game 1 of the Cavaliers’ first-round playoff win over the Miami Heat. Jerome’s breakout performance ranks fourth all-time in NBA playoff scoring debuts off the bench—just behind Bates, who dropped 29 points in his 1980 playoff debut with the Portland Trail Blazers.

As the crew looked over the names above Jerome on the list, Charles Barkley recognized Bates and said, “I certainly remember him. I wonder if Billy Ray is still alive?”

Shaq chimed in and mistakenly said that Bates had passed away.

Social media didn’t waste time reacting:

The 68-year-old Bates, nicknamed the “Black Superman,” played in the NBA for Portland, Washington, and the Lakers. But he gained cult hero status in the PBA with the Crispa Redmanizers (1983, 1986) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (1986–1988), where his high-flying dunks and clutch plays made him one of the most memorable imports in league history.