Hours after Shaquille O’Neal's hiring as GM, Sacramento State gets another big boost with 6’3 guard’s commitment

The Shaquille O'Neal era is off to a great start at Sacramento State. The Hornets secured Mikey Williams' commitment on Tuesday, hours after the NBA legend agreed to become the general manager of the Hornets men's basketball team.

Williams confirmed his move to the Hornets on his Instagram account. He posted an image of himself wearing his new team's uniform. He included a caption for his post, which has already generated more than 46,000 likes.

"All Glory to God," Williams wrote.

Mikey Williams will be looking to kickstart his career with the Hornets after he failed to live up to expectations at UCF last season. He averaged 5.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists through 18 games in the 2024-25 campaign.

Williams made just five starts under Johnny Dawkins, averaging 14.0 minutes per contest. He reached double figures in scoring just three times, achieving the feat in the games against TCU, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Williams scored 14 points in losses to the Cowboys and the Cyclones. He then recorded an 11-point performance against the Horned Frogs in his final game for the Knights.

Shaquille O'Neal joins Mike Bibby at Sacramento State after a disappointing 2024-25 season for the Hornets

The Sacramento Hornets failed to qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament after finishing 7-25 and last in the Big Sky Conference, posting a 3-15 slate.

Things are looking up, though, for the Hornets, who added two NBA legends to their staff. They hired Mike Bibby as their new coach last month. Bibby is a well-known figure in Sacramento, having played for the Kings from 2001 to 2008 during his NBA career.

Shaquille O'Neal watches the showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center during the 2024 NBA playoffs. Photo: Imagn

The Hornets made another splash, hiring Shaquille O'Neal to be their next GM. It will be a voluntary role for the former LA Lakers star, who won four NBA titles during his illustrious career. O'Neal will not be paid by Sacramento State during his GM stint.

He accepted the job after his son Shaqir transferred to Sacramento State from Florida A&M last month. The younger O'Neal averaged 6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.8 apg and 0.6 bpg through 29 games for the Rattlers this season.