Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has stood by Angel Reese’s side during some difficult times and remains one of her staunchest supporters. O’Neal was asked about his connection with Reese on the Straight Game Podcast by co-host and Las Vegas Aces assistant coach, Tyrone Ellis, and he explained why he respects her.
“Angel reminds us of us,” O’Neal said. “She plays how she plays. Doesn’t matter what people say, doesn’t matter what people think, she plays with a certain spirit, with a certain ferocity, and I respect that about her.”
Reese has come under a lot of criticism for one reason or another since she’s been in the spotlight. She hasn’t let any of it affect her, for the most part, and has impressed on the court.
There was a time, though, when it seemed like Reese might erupt on her LSU head coach, Kim Mulkey. O’Neal, an LSU alumnus himself, revealed he had to intervene to ensure she didn’t lose her cool.
“What a lot of us don’t understand [is] that, if the coaches can get on us, then he can control the team,” O’Neal stated. “So, her and her coach had a little spat. She was getting ready to go off, and I had to call and explain to her. I said, ‘Listen, it’s all part of the game when you’re the best. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So these are things you have to go through.’
“So, I kind of talked her off a ledge, and I kind of wanted to be her mentor,” O’Neal continued. “Help her getting through things. What young people don’t understand is all the stuff that you’re about to go through, we’ve already been through. So, if you want to get through it easier, listen to the OGs when we give you some advice. She’s been listening very well.”
Mulkey had benched Reese in the second half of LSU’s win over Kent State in her senior year. She then didn’t play in any of the next four games, and that could well have been the time when O’Neal had to step in.
Another incident where O’Neal felt compelled to intervene was when former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III was talking about Reese. O’Neal defended Reese and threatened to punch Griffin, and he appeared to speak about that incident here.
“I don’t really stick up for her all the time, but old dude was just taking it too far,” O’Neal said. “And she didn’t really have anybody backing her, so I had to let him know just leave her alone… It kind of felt like bullying.”
O’Neal has said that Reese is like a daughter to him. He stated he will protect, call, and mess with her, and that just about describes the dynamic here.
Reese only recently returned to the court for the Chicago Sky after missing seven games due to a back injury. The 23-year-old is currently averaging 14.3 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Sky in 2025.
We won’t be seeing Reese in the playoffs this year, but she’s had a fine campaign after a slow start. Some of those doubters have been silenced, and she’ll be looking to end her sophomore season on a high note in the coming weeks.
