Shaquille O’Neal has accomplished much throughout his prolific basketball career, but there’s one milestone pal Angel Reese has on her resume that he wishes he had, too.
When discussing the star Chicago Sky forward on a recent installment of his “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal heaped praise on Reese, who helped the Lady Tigers secure the first-ever championship for the women’s basketball program in 2023 before being celebrated at a parade — an honor the four-time NBA champion did not experience during his college playing days in Baton Rogue.
“For her to be the first person to bring a championship, basketball-wise, to this arena, I named her the greatest athlete at LSU and a lot of people got mad,” O’Neal said.
“We get judged by championships, we don’t get judged by yards or points or broken backboards. So when I said then, I wasn’t trying to disrespect, I was trying to give her props because she did something that we wanted to do but couldn’t.”
When he turned his attention to LSU’s national championship parade in April 2023, which occurred shortly after Reese and the Tigers took down Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85, O’Neal admitted he was “jealous” of the festivities.
“I was like, God damn. Looking at all of the people, I was like, damn, I wish I could have done that,” said a smiling O’Neal.
The 7-foot-1 NBA legend played at LSU from 1989 to 1992 and was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992.
O’Neal was then selected first overall by the Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft and played professionally until his retirement in 2011.
O’Neal has been a mentor to Reese, whose profile has only continued to rise since transitioning from college to the pros. He helped her navigate rocky waters with her former coach, LSU’s Kim Mulkey, last season.
“I called her and said hey, part of the game, don’t say nothing, don’t respond,” O’Neal said on his podcast.
Upon leaving LSU this past spring, Reese was selected seventh overall by the Sky in April’s WNBA draft and finished her injury-shortened rookie season averaging 13.6 points per game, 13.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
“She reminds me of my daughter so I mentor her at times,” O’Neal said.
Of course, their bond isn’t all work and no play.
Earlier this month, Reese jokingly made a $100,000 bet with O’Neal over a free throw, a six-figure shot he wound up making.
“I guess i owe him $100k,” Reese responded in a clip that featured a loud crying face emoji.
She boasts an NIL valuation of $1.8 million, according to On3.
