Shaquille O’Neal was named an honorary FBI special agent Thursday, and he closed his remarks at the ceremony by telling the audience to arrest Charles Barkley.
FBI Director Kash Patel presented the honor at the graduation of Session 299 of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. O’Neal attended the ceremony as a guest as 265 law enforcement officials graduated from the session.
As he wrapped up his speech, O’Neal turned to his longtime “Inside the NBA” co-host.
“If you see Charles Barkley, arrest him,” O’Neal said, in video shared by Legion Hoops.
Patel announced the honor on X. He described O’Neal as one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country and said the Hall of Famer had joined the session for its graduation.
The title is honorary. It does not make O’Neal a sworn FBI special agent or give him investigative authority, TheGrio reported.
The National Academy is also separate from the FBI’s training program for new agents. The bureau runs it as a 10-week professional development course primarily for experienced law enforcement leaders, covering academics, leadership and physical fitness. O’Neal did not complete that 10-week program.
O’Neal’s ties to law enforcement go back more than two decades.
While playing for the Miami Heat in 2005, O’Neal trained to become a reserve officer with the Miami Beach Police Department. He was sworn in that December after completing the required training.
Before he was sworn in, O’Neal assisted police during an incident in Miami Beach that September. He saw a man yell anti-gay slurs at two pedestrians before getting out of a car and throwing a bottle that struck one of them. O’Neal followed the vehicle and alerted police, helping an officer locate and arrest the suspect.
O’Neal has held other reserve and community law enforcement roles over the years.
On the court, the Orlando Magic drafted him No. 1 overall in 1992. He played 19 seasons with six teams: the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
He won four championships, three with the Lakers from 2000 through 2002 and one with the Heat in 2006. He was named MVP in 2000 and earned 15 All-Star selections. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
O’Neal and Barkley have worked together on “Inside the NBA” since 2011. Their on-air ribbing has been a staple of the show for more than a decade.
