Shaquille O’Neal is done staying quiet when it comes to online attacks aimed at Angel Reese.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, the Hall of Famer delivered his strongest public defense yet of Reese, calling out what he described as a growing culture of bullying directed at female athletes. O’Neal specifically mentioned Reese and Washington Mystics rookie Lauren Betts, two players he has mentored in both basketball and business.
“I wish I could punch some of these guys in their face that just pick on my Angel and pick on my Lauren, but I have to be professional,” O’Neal said.
Following her offseason move from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream, Reese has continued to generate headlines both on and off the court. In recent months, she became the first female athlete to wear her own signature sneaker on the cover of Vogue Australia, appeared in major fashion campaigns, and has spoken openly about navigating criticism throughout her career.
That criticism has become a recurring topic. Earlier this year, Reese told Michelle Obama on the IMO podcast that she has learned to live with constant scrutiny while refusing to let negativity define her.
“I don't even let the negativity get to me,” Reese said during the conversation. “I've grown to have a skin where you can't break me.”
O’Neal’s relationship with Reese stretches back to her LSU days. Reese has previously described the NBA legend as a father figure, and O’Neal said his decision to support her publicly stemmed from frustration with how she was treated after LSU’s national championship run.
“Because enough is enough,” O’Neal said when asked why he stepped in. He also criticized what he sees as a trend of commentators and content creators using controversial takes about athletes to build audiences.
“They'll take a hot topic and promote it on their page to get their followers up,” O’Neal said. “It’s just a lot of nonsense, and a lot of it is embarrassing, and a lot of bullying.”
His connection to Reese extends beyond mentorship. As president of Reebok Basketball, O’Neal helped oversee the brand’s investment in Reese, who became one of the company’s signature athletes and launched her AR1 signature sneaker line.
Betts also joined the Reebok roster earlier this year, giving O’Neal a direct stake in the development of both players.
While O’Neal acknowledged that he hasn’t always gotten everything right as a mentor, he emphasized that his priority is making sure young athletes know they have support.
“They have my number,” he said. “They know if they need me, they can call me.”
