Shaquille O’Neal apologizes to man he mocked online

DETROIT – Ex-NBA star Shaquille O’Neal says he’s apologized to a Detroit man with a rare disorder for making fun of his appearance in an online post.

Best known as Shaq, the former NBA player said in a Twitter message that he “made a new friend today” when he “called and apologized to Jahmel Binion.”

The tweet calls Binion a “great dude.”

O’Neal spokesman Rishi Daulat told The Associated Press on Wednesday that O’Neal wrote the tweet.

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Binion has ectodermal dysplasia, which affects his face, teeth and hair. He tells MLive.com he was “confused” when O’Neal posted a picture on Instagram showing him making a face imitating Binion.

The post was later taken down.

The National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias wrote an open letter Monday to O’Neal saying “bullying is never acceptable.”