‘Game Day Murders’: True-Crime Junkie Shaquille O’Neal Talks New Sports Docuseries

Shaquille O’Neal has been able to combine his love of sports and fascination with true crime in the new Investigation Discovery series Game Day Murders. Executive produced by the NBA legend, the six-episode series explores the shocking cases that rocked the sports world. Host Lindsay Czarniak takes viewers through the dark stories told through firsthand accounts from families, teammates, and those closest to the subject matter. 

Topics include the home invasion of NFL star Sean Taylor (with commentary from former Washington Redskins teammate Santana Moss), as well as the robbery-turned-murder of MLB player Dernell Stenson alongside insight from his friend and former colleague Mike Gallo. Other ripped from the headline cases examined are the arrest of NHL player Mike Danton in a murder-for-hire plot, featuring an interview with former hockey player Joe Goodenow.  

The July 27 series premiere revisits the mysterious disappearance of Baylor University basketball player Patrick Dennehy in 2003. For the first time ever, his teammate Ellis Kidd, Jr. shares his personal account of the murder investigation that led to exposing one of college basketball’s biggest scandals. 

It’s a busy week for O’Neal as the mogul also saw the kickoff competition for Dunkman, the first professional league dedicated to competitive slam dunking. It partners the star with Authentic Brands Group, and TNT Sports. Events are hosted Tuesdays leading into the World Championship on August 25 with $500,000 on the line. Each installment broadcasts on TNT and streams on HBO Max. 

Here Shaq explains why Game Day Murders is a captivating watch.

What made this project stand out for you? 

Shaquille O’Neal: Well, you know, I’m a true crime junkie. It’s what I watch all the time. The opportunity to bring us together was kind of my idea, so I called my good friend Lindsay Czarniak. I was like, I’ve been around sports my whole life. And what surprised me is that some of the biggest stories aren’t what happened on the field or on the court. What happens after the whistle blows, that’s when it happens. When I’m looking on the Internet at night, I was doing my research. There are so many of these stories. A lot of these stories have been told when the crime occurred. 

An example is when we talk about Patrick Dennehy. I had no idea the NCAA violations that were going on. I had no idea all the stuff he was going through and how the coaches were directing the players what to say and how to act. He wasn’t on scholarship with one coach blackballed from the business now. He wasn’t allowed to speak the first time, so he is speaking for a chance for people to hear him. I don’t want to sensationalize the victims of the tragedy, so I try to approach the stories with a lot of respect. Our goal is to honor the legacy of those who lost their lives and showcase them in a way how everyone looked at them…I wanted to approach the stories with nothing but respect. When I’m watching true crime, I’m always watching it with an open mind. Most of the time I’m blown away. Like why? I don’t believe he did that. I’ve always been enamored with true-crime. 

What is it about the genre that you like so much? 

Because these are stories that make you pay attention. When I’m watching Rocky or Creed, I know he is going to win a fight. I know he is going to lose a fight. I know he is going to go through this psychological thing he has to work out. And I know he is going to win that last fight. When I watch Alien vs. Predator, I know what is going to happen. When you watch true crime, you don’t know what is going to happen. I was watching [American Murder: The Family Next Door], and it started when the guy came home and his wife and kids were missing. The way they produced it you were thinking, “Man, I wonder who took his wife and kids.” Then after the commercial he is not crying, he is not sad. They see him out. The girl finally tells her story. Then boom, boom, boom. Then you find out he took his wife and daughters and put them in an oil tanker. Things like that. You have to pay attention as they take you all over the place. 

How is it having Lindsay a part of this? 

She is the best. They always say the greatest leaders are the ones that have others who are smarter than you in the room. She is the smartest person to do this. I couldn’t have done this without her. She was the first person I called. I said, “Hey, I want to do something like this.” She told me to give her some time. She put it together. 

There are some cautionary tales here. What kind of impact do you think this show is going to have? 

It will make people more aware. I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms, had the heat in the locker room, but never to the point where something tragic happens. Hopefully, they know and remember these legends that were taken away so quickly. Hopefully we tell them something they didn’t know. 

Was there one episode that really struck you most? 

A few that, you know, not just basketball, but other sports as well. I didn’t know anything about the St. Louis players. I didn’t know about the Cincinnati Reds player. I was familiar with Sean Taylor, but not all of what happened. I remember briefly what happened, I was deeply paying attention to the Lorenzen Wright case and you know, we all had our speculation on who did it. And then finally 20 years later, they charge his wife. So, we get deep inside that one too.

What goes into deciding what you want to work on these days? 

It’s all about teamwork. I’m sure you have a fabulous team helping you out, helping you achieve a lot of success. So again, Lindsay and her team and my team, we’ve been at this for months, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without her. She’s the best.

What are you binging right now?

Worst Neighbor Ever I’d say. And then what else am I watching? I always watch The First 48. 

On top of the show, you also have Dunkman. What does it mean for you to have this league? 

Throughout my childhood, all the top dunkers were NBA players. But from the past 15 years, the NBA dunk contest has sucked [most of the time]. I think Vince Carter had a great one. Then Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon had a good one, and after that it’s been terrible ever since. The top guys don’t want to compete, nobody wants to lose or whatever. So it’s been terrible. But now you have guys that are dunking about the NBA players and they get a lot of movement. I wanted to bring them together. I want the world to come together. I don’t care what game you go to, the dunk gets more applause than the three-point shot. 

A dunk by somebody, and the people are going crazy. So the dunk is still the most spectacular shot. I hope guys go out there and compete and do a great job and I hope nobody misses. My favorite dunk contest was Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkin. There were no misses. It inspired me so much. I tried to go outside and do all the dunks and was hurting my wrists and my fingers were bleeding because I couldn’t quite jump that high. But it definitely inspired me.

Game Day Murders series premiere, July 27, 10/9c, Discovery ID (HBO Max) 

Dunkman, Tuesdays, 8/7c, TNT (HBO Max)