Shaquille O'Neal Blames Cannabis in Las Vegas Arena for On-Air Gaffe

Shaquille O'Neal is popular enough to make his on-air gaffes during TNT's broadcasts of the NBA into entertaining moments.

On Thursday, after the Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament (IST) in Las Vegas, the TNT broadcast brought Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to the desk for an interview.

Haliburton was coming off an impressive game: 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting to go with 15 assists and seven rebounds. After he buried the dagger step-back triple in the 128-119 victory, Haliburton strutted away from the 3-point line examining his wrist and exclaimed, "Y'all know what time it is" in reference to Bucks guard Damian Lillard's famous "Dame Time" celebration.

Still, when confronted with Haliburton on air, O'Neal, an NBA Hall of Famer, seemed to briefly mix his name up with another All-Star: Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.

"I told Kenny, I said, 'Trae is the real deal,'" O'Neal informed Haliburton, who appeared to stifle a smile.

TNT's Ernie Johnson then picked up his microphone to interject.

"And there's always Tyrese," he quipped.

"I mean 'Tyrese,' excuse me," O'Neal said, smirking. "Ernie, it ain't me. It's that damn cannabis behind me. That cannabis behind me got me...anyway."

While what happens in Vegas might stay in Vegas, it still would be illegal to consume marijuana in an arena.

The Pacers guard is enjoying a breakout season and has been one of the best players in the NBA this year. Haliburton has been particularly good in the IST, where he's averaging 27.8 points, 13.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds through six games. The competition has been stiff as well—five of the six opponents the Pacers faced en route to the IST Finals played in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year, including the conference finalist Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals, as well the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks.

"We're playing the right way, and we're shocking the world right now," Haliburton told reporters afterward. "We're going to continue to do that."

Lillard meanwhile, who was traded to the Bucks in the offseason as the 2021 NBA champs looked to bounce back from an embarrassing first-round exit, said he shook hands with Haliburton after the game and stressed the importance of being "humble" when you're having your moments.

"I learned as a kid when you dish it out, you've got to be willing to take it," Lillard said Thursday, regarding the celebration. "For as many times as I've done it to people, I can't be upset when somebody else does it. I think that's also a sign of respect and acknowledgement for knowing my history and knowing what I do. I didn't mind it."

The Pacers will take on the Los Angeles Lakers, who blew out the New Orleans Pelicans on their side of the bracket, in the IST Finals on Saturday.