Angel Reese reveals calling Shaquille O'Neal over LSU GOAT praise and receiving explicit response
Following the NCAA women's basketball tournament, Shaquille O'Neal made a bold statement. He said that LSU star Angel Reese was the best athlete in the history of the school's athletics program.
Despite her only being at the school for one year, O'Neal, a two-time national player of the year at LSU and a Naismith Hall of Famer, is all in on Reese. Part of why he made that remark is because she was able to deliver a championship on the biggest stage.
"She's probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU sports. ... Male and female."
- Shaq on Angel Reese
(Via The Big Pod)
https://t.co/fx56ENbuxU
After two seasons at Maryland, Reese transfered to LSU. In 36 games this season, she averaged 23.0 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Not long after the O'Neal made the remarks, Reese reached out to him to discuss what he said. She told him that the statement put a lot of pressure on her going forward, to which he gave her an explicit response in return.
"Do you know how much pressure you just put on me?" Reese recalled asking O'Neal. "O'Neal said he didn't give a f***."
Unlike their male counterparts, women typically stay at college for all four years before going pro. With her NIL deals in place, Reese is in no rush to make the jump to the WNBA (and she was not eligible for this season's draft). She will be returning to LSU for her senior season and looking to secure another championship.
Did Shaquille O'Neal go too far with his comments about Angel Reese?
Given that she has only been with the school for one year, it's fair to say that Shaquille O'Neal might have overstepped with his comments. Angel Reese is a phenomenal athlete who had an incredible season, but LSU is littered with high-level performers in their respective sports.
One LSU athlete that had something to say about this was Lolo Jones. She had some choice words for the LA Lakers legend after he made this remark about Reese and the school. Not only had she won three individual national championships for LSU in track and field, but she competed for her country on the Olympic stage, in hurdles and in bobsleigh.
Jones, who lives in Baton Rouge, knows full well the depth of LSU's tradition. The school has produced 50 national team championships, including four in football and six in baseball, as well as hundreds of individual national championships, let alone Olympians, Hall of Famers and numerous national players of the year. The women's track and field program alone boasts 25 national team titles.
Two-time national player of the year Seimone Augustus, a four-time WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold medal winner, led LSU to three Final Fours and has a statue outside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, right next to O'Neal's, Maravich's and Bob Pettit's.
As Reese mentioned, comments like that put a lot of pressure on her to perform come next season. That being said, it might have been Shaq's intentions all along.
Since being on TNT's "Inside the NBA," Shaq has been known to call out players of this current generation. He doesn't do it to belitte them, but to challenge them to elevate their game to new heights. Shaq clearly sees that same kind of potential in Reese and wants to see her continue to grow in her final college season.