Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal has reportedly gone to some “shocking” lengths to avoid being served a court order over the last five months, and he may now end up having to be served digitally.
Last year, FTX became a brand that was added to the American lexicon after the cryptocurrency exchange found itself at the center of a scandal when the company was forced to file for bankruptcy. While crypto companies going belly up happens with regularity nowadays, this one stood out not just for the questionable decisions by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and the billions lost, but because of the famous individuals involved with peddling the disgraced exchange.
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One of the celebrities involved with the FTX scandal is Los Angeles Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal, and he is among several celebs that are defendants in a civil lawsuit filed late last year by many of the people that shared in losing $8 billion in the failed exchange.
However, while others like NFL legend Tom Brady, his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, and NBA superstar Stephen Curry have been served without issue, it seems that O’Neal has been purposely avoiding the process for the last five months.
On Friday, attorneys for the plaintiffs in the class action suit went public on the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s shenanigans and are seeking “court permission to serve him through his social media accounts and via publication on a ‘dedicated Service Webpage’ set up just for O’Neal” (via Daniel Wallach).
Court records filed in Miami, Florida claim O’Neal’s tactics to avoid being served are “unprecedented, and frankly shocking” as he was able to steer clear of dozens of attempts in multiple states and countries.
Where things get very worrisome, is the man who won multiple titles with the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly threatened the server in a text from him or people on his behalf following an attempt at his home in Texas. “Shaq lives in the Bahamas u stupid f***, give Beth Shaw my regards.” Beth Shaw is the wife of the process server.
The Lakers icon and Hall-of-Famer currently serves as a studio analyst for the NBA on TNT.