Angel Reese’s One LSU Experience That Made Shaq ‘Jealous’

Shaquille O’Neal has accomplished a lot throughout his prolific basketball career, but there’s one notable friend Angel Reese has on his resume that he wishes he had too.

When discussing the Chicago Sky star forward on a recent episode of his “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal praised Reese, who helped the Lady Tigers win the program’s first-ever championship. women’s basketball in 2023 before being celebrated. in a parade — an honor the four-time NBA champion didn’t experience during his college playing days at Baton Rogue.

“For her to be the first person to bring a basketball championship to this arena, I named her LSU’s greatest athlete and a lot of people got mad,” O’Neal said.

“We are judged by championships, we are not judged by yards, points or broken boards. So when I said then, I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, I was trying to give her props because she did something that we wanted to do but couldn’t do.

When he turned his attention to LSU’s April 2023 national championship parade, which took place shortly after Reese and the Tigers beat Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85, O’ Neal admitted he was “jealous” of the festivities.

“I was like, damn. Looking at all the people, I was like, damn, I wish I could do that,” O’Neal said, smiling.

The 7-foot-1 NBA legend played at LSU from 1989-92 and was named 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 was a mentor to Reese, whose profile has continued to rise since his transition from college to the pros. He helped her navigate some difficult waters with her former coach, LSU’s Kim Mulkey, last season.

“I called her and said hello, part of the game, don’t say anything, don’t answer,” O’Neal said on his podcast.

Leaving LSU last spring, Reese was selected seventh overall by 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 recommend her sometimes,” O’Neal said.

Of course, their bond isn’t all work and play.

Earlier this month, Reese jokingly bet O’Neal $100,000 on a free throw, a six-figure shot that he ended up making.

“I guess I owe him $100,000,” Reese responded in a clip featuring a crying-hard face emoji.

It has a NIL valuation of $1.8 million, according to On3.