The viral Pacers fan captured cursing at her boyfriend had some strong words for “creepy” Shaquille O’Neal after the couple appeared on “Inside the NBA.”
Michael and Grace were at the Nets-Pacers game last Thursday when, as Michael explained on ESPN, they were seen talking about the state of liberal arts education and how it “needed to be updated for how the future job market looks.”
However, that banal conversation went viral after a befuddled Grace was seen responding: “What the f–k are you talking about?” to Michael.
And that led to the couple being invited onto “Inside the NBA” for an interview on Sunday night.
O’Neal was not buying Michael’s explanation for the couple’s disagreement – and turned up the heat when he dared Michael to propose on live TV. The legendary big man even said he’d pay for the ring if Michael took the deal.
Ultimately, no proposal happened on air and Grace was left unimpressed by the Lakers icon.
“Shaq was like a creepy horny uncle trying to embarrass his nephew and I went along with it until the bit got embarrassing and I was like alright chill,’” she wrote on social media.
“I’m glad my boyfriend got to meet the people whose videos he shows me constantly but God am I ready to be done with Sports people. I have found u generally exhausting and, forgive me for saying so, I mean this respectfully, not smart in the ways that matter to me. TO ME.”
Following Michael’s explanation of the couple’s disagreement – which Grace has since played down – Shaq pushed back on the Indiana fan.
“What’s his name? Michael?” Oneal said. “Michael, I love you, and I love your lovely wife, but I don’t believe that story you just told. You said something else for her to say, what the ef are you talking about? Stop it. Stop it. I can tell by your wife’s face that this was planned, and your answer was planned. What were you guys really talking about? Come on, come on.”
Michael then jumped in to correct him that they are not in fact, married.
“Did you just hear him correct you? He said ‘Not wife. Girlfriend,” Grace responded.
It was then that Shaq put Michael on the spot and offered a free engagement ring.
Michael, though, immediately began choking on his words, saying, “Listen,” as the “Inside the NBA” crew erupted.
“No, there ain’t no listen. Do it right now. Do it right now, get on your knee right now, and I’ll buy the ring,” O’Neal said. “Ask her right now, go ahead.”
Michael then countered that he would propose to Grace if the “Inside the NBA” crew agreed to come to their wedding – a request that O’Neal actually said he would abide by.
However, Grace added that she hadn’t agreed to the deal herself before Barkley joked: “You already cursed him out on national television. If you turn him down on national television, he has to abort, abort, abort.”
O’Neal’s offer to pay for the ring was generous, though it appears he had about a 30-second shot clock on it.
Should Michael and Grace choose to get engaged later on, that offer might be one that Michael wishes he took advantage of.
Grace – who already had a sizable following on X before this incident – appears done with the sports world after one fan told her to stop milking the couple’s 15 minutes of fame.
“I am literally packing it up girl,” she said. “That’s what this is.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
