Who is Me’arah O’Neal? Taking a closer look at Shaquille O’Neal's youngest child's personal life
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant players in the league, achieving multiple accolades throughout his career. O’Neal played for six different franchises, but his time with the Orlando Magic and LA Lakers defined his career.
Shaquille O’Neal is a big part of the Lakers’ history, given his involvement in a three-peat between 1999-2002. His impact on those championships will never be lost on fans. He was named the Finals MVP in all three championship runs.
After winning his third NBA title, Shaquille O’Neal married later that year. On December 26, 2002, O’Neal married Shaunie O’Neal (now Shaunie Henderson) in a private ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The couple had two children before their wedding and went on to have two more together.
Shaquille and Shaunie split in 2010 after trying to make it work several times. In an interview, Shaq even opened up about the divorce, calling it a mistake.
“You know when you get older, you try to think about the mistakes that you made that could have been avoided. Divorce is definitely one of them,” O'Neal said.
What does Shaquille O’Neal’s youngest daughter Me’arah O’Neal do?
Born on May 1, 2006, Me’arah Sanaa O’Neal is Shaquille O’Neal’s youngest daughter. She has five siblings, including one sister Shaq had with an ex-girlfriend and one brother her mother, Shaunie, had from a previous relationship. She has three older brothers, Myles, Shareef, Shaqir, and two older sisters, Taahirah and Amirah.
Me’arah O’Neal went to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. She followed the footsteps of her dad and older brother, Shareef, by playing basketball. O’Neal started in all 24 games as a freshman, averaging 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. She led her team to a 19-5 record and a shot at the state quarterfinals.
Class of 2024 Me’Arah O’Neal night 1 action from Nike Nationals! @MeArahONeall @SHAQ @NikeGirlsEYBL https://t.co/jbJnvohxhi
The 16-year-old is around 6’3” tall and, like her father, plays the center position. She is due to play college basketball in 2024. It has been a year since she received an offer from UCLA women’s basketball. She even received a three-star post-player rating in ESPN’s 2024 women’s basketball recruiting class rankings.
Per her Instagram, Me’arah O’Neal (daughter of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, brother of former @UCLAMBB forward Shareef O’Neal) has received an offer from @UCLAWBB.
It is her second Division I scholarship offer after Virginia extended one in July. https://t.co/l21FChmWPo
Me’arah O’Neal shared a close relationship with the late Gianna Bryant, having a mutual interest in basketball. Although they might have gotten it from their dads, Me’arah and Gianna started making waves in the basketball world in 2020. The two also shared the same birthday, which Me’arah referenced in the message she put out after Gianna Bryant’s passing.