Shaquille O’Neal has long called Angel Reese “family,” and nearly two years after she burst onto the national stage, he’s pulling back the curtain on how he supported her during that time.
Appearing on the Straight Game Podcast, Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Tyrone Ellis praised O’Neal for defending Reese publicly when critics like Robert Griffin III questioned her. Shaq explained that his investment in Reese‘s success wasn’t simply about school pride.
“Angel reminds me of me. She plays how she plays, doesn’t matter what people say, doesn’t matter people think,” O’Neal said. “She plays with a certain spirit, with a certain ferocity, and I respect that about her.”
The LSU absence and Shaq’s phone call
Reese missed four straight games in November 2023, a mysterious stretch that LSU never fully explained at the time.
Rumors swirled about academics and discipline, though the forward and head coach Kim Mulkey later clarified the absence was tied to a locker room dispute.
O’Neal recalled how he called Reese during that period to offer perspective.
“When she was going through her stuff at LSU, you know what a lot of us don’t understand that, if the coaches can get on us, he can control the team. 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. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So these are things you have to go through’,” he added.
That conversation, Shaq said, helped Reese take a step back and reset mentally before returning to the court.
Reese’s gratitude and resilience
When Reese came back, one of her first acknowledgments was directed toward O’Neal, thanking him for being there when the pressure threatened to overwhelm her.
Since then, their bond has only grown stronger, with Shaq often praising her ability to block out noise and maintain her intensity.
For Reese, the LSU episode marked an early test of resilience, one that mirrored the challenges she has faced since entering the WNBA with the Chicago Sky. For O’Neal, it was proof of what he had seen all along: a competitor whose toughness and spirit reminded him of his own.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” O’Neal told her back then. Nearly two years later, it’s clear that lesson remains at the heart of Angel Reese’s journey.
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