WATCH – 4/13/26, 7:37 pm ET: Kindnesswho went with her boyfriend Michael at a recent Indiana Pacers game, he clarified his comments about Shaquille O'Neal after him Inside the NBA appearance.
“I am an independent person who has been placed in the eyes of people unexpectedly and I do my best to navigate it with humor,” he said in a statement shared with him. Us Weekly. “We both had a great time on the show- Shaq didn't do anything to make us uncomfortable and I don't see him as “intimidating” at all. I was trying to make a joke about my disturbing reaction in the middle of a high-pressure situation. Nothing but praise and appreciation for the hosts and the joy they've brought us over the years. Go Pacer.
Original story below:
One aspect of the Indiana Pacers fandom that took the NBA world by storm last week seems to be beyond the attention of the media.
Kindnesswho went with her boyfriend, Michaelafter the cameras caught them arguing at the Pacers game on Thursday, April 9, even in comparison Shaquille O'Neal “to the uncle with the scary horn” following ESPN's appearance Inside the NBA.
“Shaq was like an uncle with creepy horns trying to embarrass his nephew and I kept at it until I got embarrassed and pretended I was cool,” Grace wrote via X on Monday, April 13.
He continued, “I'm glad that my bf met people who always show me their videos but God I'm ready to be done with sports people. I found that he's tired again, forgive me for saying that, I mean this with respect, not intelligence in ways that are important to me.
Grace and Michael came up Inside the NBA on Sunday, April 12, when O'Neal, 54, told Michael he would pay for the engagement ring if he proposed to Grace live on the show.
Michael tried to negotiate, saying, “If you agree to come to the wedding, we will do it.”
Michael and Grace
ESPN/XBut when the studio staff started discussing it, Grace interrupted to remind everyone, “I didn't agree to this.”
He added in a variation of X's post, “Okay I agreed to do this so my boy can talk about BASKETBALL.”
At the start of the segment, Michael revealed what the couple were arguing about when cameras caught Grace appearing to say to him, “What the f*** are you talking about?”
Getty Images (2) Shaquille O'Neal is in hot water after commenting on the dress worn by WNBA player Angel Reese. On the Thursday, October 24, episode of her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, O'Neal, 52, discussed the differences between men's and women's basketball while touching on how lowering the rims could affect the WNBA. “Think about yourself […]
“Unfortunately, it was as boring as it gets,” said Michael. “We were talking about the difficulty of a liberal arts education and that I thought it needed to be reviewed in terms of the future job market, and he didn't agree.”
Grace added, “The game was interrupting our normal conversation, which is so funny that it's getting worse. It's really embarrassing stuff. I'm not a big sports person. Shaq, I love Icy Hot, that's what I know the most.”
O'Neal pressed Michael, saying he didn't buy that story, based on Grace's speech. Michael only replied that the couple prefers to keep their private conversations private.
Grace first addressed the video clip on Thursday night, sharing it with X and writing, “IM CRYINGGGGGGGGG I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!”
