“We screwed up” – Major Shaquille O’Neal slip-up forces Inside the NBA to apologize after falsely claiming former player passed away

A moment meant to celebrate NBA playoff history turned awkward on live television as TNT’s Inside the NBA crew mistakenly declared that former Portland Trail Blazers standout Billy Ray Bates had passed away. The claim turned out to be completely false. Later, the Inside the NBA crew issued an apology with a corrected follow-up message. But the initial mishap was highly condemned by the fans on social media.

Inside the NBA issued an apology for falsely claiming a former player had passed away

The incident occurred during the postgame coverage of Game 1 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, where Ty Jerome’s 28-point performance off the bench put him in elite company. The crew highlighted the most points scored in a playoff debut by a bench player, listing Ben Gordon, Malik Monk, and Billy Ray Bates. That’s when things veered off course.

As the panel discussed Bates’ explosive 29-point playoff debut in 1980, Charles Barkley casually asked, “I wonder if he’s still alive. This is a fair question.” The tone quickly shifted. Ernie Johnson responded firmly, “Not unless you know the answer, you do not need to ask a question like that.” The conversation escalated when Shaquille O’Neal chimed in, incorrectly asserting that Bates had passed away. “You’re gonna get us fired, Chuck,” Shaq added with a laugh.
The next day, Johnson delivered a heartfelt correction during TNT’s coverage of Game 2 between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. “We would like to issue a correction and an apology for something that happened last night on ‘Inside the NBA,’” Johnson began. “We were talking about Billy Ray Bates… we passed on some bad information that Billy Ray Bates had passed away. While it was inadvertent, it was also inaccurate and insensitive and inexcusable. In short, we screwed up. And we apologize to Billy Ray Bates and his family.”

The Pistons pulled off a gritty 100-94 win behind Cade Cunningham’s stellar 33-point outing, evening the series at 1-1. But the headlines were split between playoff basketball and the broadcast blunder involving Bates.
Bates, now 68, is very much alive and still remembered for his explosive scoring, not just in the NBA but also during his dominant stretch in the Philippine Basketball Association. He averaged an astonishing 46.2 points per game across 98 PBA appearances and remains a cult hero in the Philippines.

Though his NBA career was brief, spanning four seasons with Portland, Washington, and the Lakers, Bates left an indelible mark. His 1980 playoff run poured in 160 points across six postseason games