Shaq’s ‘date’ dunks rumors

SUNDAY night dinner is apparently the new power lunch for Shaquille O’Neal.

After we reported on the basketball legend’s recent date with a mystery woman, she shot back that it was all business. The woman with Shaq is the CEO of Kin Essentials, Jaime Johnston. Sources told us O’Neal referred to her as his “date” when they were supping on satay and martinis at Jue Lan Club in Chelsea last week, but Johnston insisted, “It was not a date.”

“It was a business meeting, and lastly, I don’t engage in gossip stories,” she commented.

Johnston also posted a pic of herself at the restaurant on Instagram, writing, “His favorite view” with a heart emoji. But she didn’t mention O’Neal by name in the social media post.

After we reached out about the non-date, we mysteriously received several cheeky text messages from a random number with photos of Shaq posing with various women — including a ’90s throwback pic of him and supermodel Cindy Crawford. “More mystery dates for you to write articles about, silly man,” the unknown texter with an Alabama area code wrote us. But when we called back, our “call could not be completed as dialed,” said a robotic voice. Our return texts also went unanswered. Shaq, was that you? Reach out! Sources who spotted O’Neal and Johnston at the restaurant told us, “They came by themselves, and they left by themselves,” but not before he secretly paid the bill for all the other patrons in the restaurant.

“It was 40 tables and [the bill] was in excess of $25,000. He was in a great mood and was taking pictures with everyone. She was more low-key. She didn’t really want to be noticed,” a source said.

Shaq will address the dinner in an upcoming episode of his “The Big Podcast,” with co-host and rumored girlfriend Nischelle Turner ,we hear. The duo has never confirmed or denied they’re an item. We hear he disputes the hefty five-figure Jue Lan check he picked up, and says it was $2,500. A rep didn’t get back to us.