Shaq Is Finally Served in FTX Lawsuit After Avoiding Lawyers for Months

NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal was served process papers related to a class-action suit on Tuesday during the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics playoff game in Miami, according to multiple reports, after successfully avoiding process servers for months.

According to a lawyer representing the FTX investors who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, a process server bought a ticket to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to try to deliver the papers again. O’Neal, who was providing commentary for TNT from a platform in the arena, had been previously served in April, the Journal reported, though he has been disputing the validity of it in court.

In an interview with The Block in April, Moskowitz said that O'Neal was served in the case outside his Atlanta home after a three-month chase. O'Neal contested it, claiming that process servers tossed papers at his moving car, and that he had to be served again for the case to proceed. 

According to MarketWatch, lawyers even tried to serve O’Neal via Twitter DMs, but a judge overlooking the case denied the motion.

During Tuesday's game -- played at the former FTX Arena -- "the process server filmed the event to ensure there was no ambiguity like Shaq has been arguing in the FTX case," Moskowitz told People. The process server was reportedly “kicked out” of the arena at O'Neal's direction after serving the papers.

The complaint is in connection to a class-action lawsuit filed against FTX, the failed cryptocurrency exchange, which O’Neal and other athletes, including Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, promoted in commercials. It follows the arrest of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who is facing charges of wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering, among others.

After FTX filed for bankruptcy, O'Neal tried to distance himself from the company. "A lot of people think I'm involved, but I was just a paid spokesperson for a commercial," O'Neal told CNBC in December.

Moskowitz told People that the first complaint regarding O'Neal's commercials for FTX has been pending since November 2022 in Miami Federal Court.

According to Moskowitz, in addition to the original class-action lawsuit, O'Neal was also served in a new lawsuit over the Astrals Project, an NFT venture that O'Neal's son founded. Filed Tuesday by Moskowitz in U.S. District Court in Florida, the new lawsuit alleges O'Neal was "violating federal securities laws" by selling unregistered securities.

“These claims now are very serious and thus it is good that we can start with the merits, instead of the silly service sideshow Mr. O’Neal unfortunately created,” Moskowitz added.