Shaquille O'Neal flies to Orange County days after NBA Finals apology

Shaquille O'Neal flew from San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport to John Wayne Airport in Orange County on June 18, a 44-minute hop in his Bombardier Challenger 605 (N3250N). The short flight comes just days after the NBA Finals concluded with the New York Knicks defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, a series that prompted O'Neal to publicly apologize to Charles Barkley for dismissing Jalen Brunson's free-agent signing as the best in history, per Newsweek.

The Orange County landing puts O'Neal near Los Angeles, where TNT's Inside the NBA typically tapes its post-Finals wrap-up shows. He may also be tending to business interests: O'Neal owns a Krispy Kreme franchise in Atlanta and holds a stake in Authentic Brands Group, which has offices in the region. His net worth now approaches $500 million, with Big Chicken expanding to 350 locations in development, as reported by Billionaires Africa.

The flight is the latest in a busy week for O'Neal, who earlier this month received a master's degree from LSU and announced he will join the university as a professor teaching a mentorship class, per EssentiallySports. His recent travel pattern shows frequent hops between California, Texas, and Idaho, often connecting to his TNT schedule and franchise oversight.