Colorado v LSU

Colorado v LSUAngel Reese comes out during Colorado v LSU

Angel Reese was honored by the LSU Tigers during her senior night on Sunday and had a special guest by her side. Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal walked her out for the celebrations at halftime. Reese was flanked on the other side by her mother. Shaq and her parents all rocked T-shirts with her name in pink and pictures on them, à la Barbie core.

This is not the first time the $400 million net-worth star has shown up for Reese. O’Neal has been vocal about his support for the forward, going so far as calling her the greatest player to come out of LSU, which is his alma mater as well.

“She’s probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU sports. … Male and female,” O’Neal said via “The Big Podcast.”

Shaq has also defended Angel Reese against her critics. When she taunted Iowa star Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Tournament final and analyst Keith Olbermann called her a “f***ing idiot,” O’Neal shut it down, and Reese then tweeted:

“Yeah my uncle Shaq don’t play bout me. Period.”

How did Angel Reese and Shaq meet?

The connection between the two stars began in February last year when Angel Reese hosted O’Neal’s daughter, Me’Arah, during her official visit to LSU. They had met previously at an LSU football game, and Reese took this opportunity to introduce herself to the big man again. (Me’Arah eventually signed with the Florida Gators).

This meeting led to the Bayou Barbie signing a deal with Reebok. Shaq is the second-largest individual shareholder of the Authentic Brands Group, which owns Reebok. O’Neal was looking to sign female athletes, and he had heard about Reese from Bob Starkey, an LSU assistant coach who also coached O’Neal at LSU.

But Shaq would not sign Angel Reese just like that, though. He challenged her to score a 20 and 20, and the forward responded with 23 points and 26 rebounds in a 74-59 win against Mississippi State.

Reese spoke about her bond with Shaquille O’Neal (via USA Sports):

“He’s super inspiring to me. He’s so genuine, he’s been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there’s not a more perfect person for me to be tight with.

“We have fun, and if I need anything, he would help me … and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn’t care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person.”

Shaq’s support for Angel Reese shows his commitment to helping young players navigate the fame and pressure that comes with playing at such a high level.