LSU legend Shaquille O'Neal walks with Angel Reese during Senior Day celebrations
On Sunday, LSU Women’s Basketball had a special guest during its Senior Day celebrations. LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal walked with senior Angel Reese during the festivities. Reese was also joined by her mother.
Reese and O’Neal boast a special bond. When Reese stepped away from team earlier this season, O’Neal would send her supportive messages. After Reese boosted LSU to a national championship, O’Neal sang her praises, calling her “the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports.”
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Reese stated she doesn’t consider O’Neal a basketball mentor or a celebrity acquaintance but rather “a father figure.”
“He’s super inspiring to me,” Reese said. “He’s so genuine, he’s been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there’s not a more perfect person for me to be tight with. We have fun, and if I need anything, he would help me … and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn’t care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person.”
LSU assistant Bob Starkey believes Reese couldn’t have a better person in her corner.
“It’s incredibly important to me that I know Angel has Shaquille every step of the way,” Starkey told USA TODAY Sports. “Shaquille is an incredibly loyal person. When Shaquille is in your camp, he’s 10 toes in.
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“Even when Angel was going through some difficulties earlier this season, he was right there for her. Where some companies might want to distance themselves from negative (attention), not Shaquille. He’s going to be there for her forever.”
The pair are close friends, and O’Neal wasn’t about to miss out on Reese’s special day. In the first half, Reese put on a show for Shaq, notching a team-high 12 points and six rebounds. LSU leads Kentucky 33-27 at halftime.
Although Reese took part in LSU’s Senior Day Celebrations. Her time as a Tiger may not be coming to an end. Ahead of the Tigers’ matchup against Tennessee last Sunday, Reese posted a cryptic message on social media.
“Should I stay, should I go? I don’t know,” Reese wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
LSU will welcome Angel Reese back with open arms if she decides to return next year. The 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player is averaging a team-high 19.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 51% from the field this season.