“Shaq Introduced With His New AI Girlfriend”: NBA Fans Erupt As Shaquille O’Neal Gets Escorted By A Robot Dog At The All-Star Game

Samir Mehdi | 17/02/2025
Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O’Neal has always had a knack for the theatrics and his entrance prior to the All-Star Game was nothing short of the aforementioned. Most players would love to get led out of the tunnel by a rapper or at the very least, a hype man. Shaq, being the contrarian that he is, chose to go down a completely different path.

A robot dog is what Shaq went with. Owning every bit of it, the ‘Big Aristotle’ marched down the aisle to introduce his All-Star team of ‘OGs’ while being led by a yellow dog that not only walked him down but began dancing in the midst of it all.

The crowd was loving it and NBA fans on social media clearly were having quite a bit of fun as well. “Shaq introduced with his new AI girlfriend,” wrote one fan while another was simply befuddled at the whole ordeal. “Why does Shaq have a d*mn robot dog leading him out,” they asked.

This technological marvel isn’t just any ‘throwaway’ gimmick for O’Neal to use. Its name is ‘Spot’ and was developed by Boston Dynamics’. At a hefty price of $74,500 (shipping included), Spot is used mainly for deliveries, inspections, and canvasing hazardous regions.

The contrast between what Spot is meant to be doing versus what it just did at the All-Star Game is comedic on several levels. Only Shaq would hilariously reduce an object capable of such feats to merely dancing prior to a televised basketball game.

It’s unclear if Shaq is in partnership with Boston Dynamics to help promote their latest product. Knowing O’Neal, he must’ve come across it and simply thought it looked cool and so employed it in escorting himself out to the game.

It isn’t all too much of a surprise that Shaq did this. He’s been very vocal about his love for technology for years now. A self-proclaimed ‘geek’, he’s invested in tons of tech start-ups over the years.

“I called him plenty of times and I’d be like ‘Can I just look at it?’” said Shaq in 2018 about calling Steve Jobs to simply look at the iPhone and gawk in awe at its existence. This is quite the clear indication of his love for tech and its advancement in that space.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
all star Shaquille O'Neal

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Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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