“He’s there for LSU”, “That’s Jay-Z”: Hoops fans poke fun as Shaquille O'Neal shows up to watch daughter Me’arah face his alma mater
Shaquille O'Neal was in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center as the LSU Tigers battled Florida in Gainesville on Sunday. The Los Angeles Lakers legend was in the arena to witness her daughter, Me'Arah O'Neal, on the court. The freshman saw 15 minutes of action, going 0 for 4 from the floor (0 of 2 from the 3-point line) alongside seven rebounds and one assist.
The SEC Network posted the video of the four-time NBA champion watching Me'Arah on the court during the first quarter on its Instagram handle. He wore a SHAQ brand's beige and white sweatshirt.
Shaquille O'Neal spent three years at LSU, from 1989 to 1992. He led the SEC in rebounds and blocks all three seasons. He averaged 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks in 90 games while shooting 61.0%. O'Neal earned multiple All-SEC and All-American honors alongside the Rupp Trophy.
Fans reacted to the video in the comment section with hilarious takes on Shaq:
"That’s jay Z," a fan wrote.
"Don’t look like Angel too me 😂," another fan commented.
"He’s there for LSU 😂😂😂," another fan wrote.
More fans joined in:
"He thought angel reese was still playing," a fan commented.
"It’s a win win for him," another fan wrote.
"That’s Jay-Z’s daughter lol," another fan commented.
How is Shaquille O'Neal's daughter performing in her freshman year
Me'Arah O'Neal has played 18 college games so far (eight starts) and is averaging 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds on 41.7% shooting while logging 14.6 minutes per game. The 6-four-4 guard has displayed plenty of offensive promise in multiple games so far.
O'Neal dropped an efficient 18 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes of action in her third college game. She then notched her first double-double against Hofstra Pride in December, scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds on 62.5% shooting.
Me'Arah had the option to follow Shaquille O'Neal's footsteps to LSU but chose Florida in Nov. 2023. Her connection to coach Kelly Rae Finley played a role, with O'Neal saying that she feels connected to her more than any school that tried to recruit her.