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Days After $800K Loss, Bronny James Spotted at Shaquille O’Neal’s Daughter Me’arah’s 18th Birthday Bash

Published 05/05/2024, 11:05 AM EDT

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Bronny James’ NIL valuation keeps declining Initially, his NIL value was over $5 million, but after suffering a cardiac arrest, it fell. By the time he came back after a 5-month break, it had come down to $4.7 million. Further, after his team failed to qualify for March Madness, it further declined to $4.5 million. The most recent $800k loss that brought this NIL value to $3.5 million was because of his below-average performance in the 2023-24 season. No doubt he needed a distraction from all these and it came in the form of Me’arah O’Neal’s 18th birthday.

Bronny James was spotted at the party with Me’arah in a photo shared by ‘m5productions’. From what the Instagram stories reflect, ‘m5productions’ seems to be the photographer who captured the moments of this entire birthday celebration. Me’arah later re-shared the photo with Bronny James and added the caption “Brother” to it.

Bronny and Me’arah share a close friendship. Even back when the basketball player suffered a cardiac arrest on July 24 during a USC practice, she showed her support for him. He was hospitalized for three days and underwent treatment for a congenital heart defect.

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But coming back to Me’arah’s birthday party, part from her family members and Bronny James, there were several other notable appearances on the occasion. One of the most prominent ones was former NBA star Brandon Jennings. He has a connection with both Shareef and Shaqir O’Neal in The Drew League. So from the photographs to the guest list, it can safely be said that Me’arah’s 18th birthday was one spectacular event.

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A quick recap of Me’arah O’Neal’s last year!

It is worth mentioning that the 17th year of Me’arah’s life brought some major moments with it. She took the decision that is considered a leading step in basketball career progression. She made a commitment to Florida University for her upcoming basketball career. And she had her own reasons for choosing the Florida Gators over her father’s college team, the LSU Tigers.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged… And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she told ESPN. But it seems the primary reason behind her decision was Gators’ coach Kelly Rae Finley.

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“I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court, but off the court. That’s important for me,” said Shaquille O’Neal’s youngest daughter. She also earned herself a spot in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Games. Considering her worthwhile 17th year, it is to be seen what this 18th year of her life brings for her.

In fact, Shaquille O’Neal supported her decision to join the Gators despite them being LSU’s rivals. “Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,” he told her. Now, that’s some good advice, isn’t it?

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Written by:

Khelendra Kumar Yadav

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Khelendra is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports, where he brings insightful analysis and engaging content to basketball enthusiasts worldwide. Khelendra holds a PG Diploma in Digital Media from a reputed university, providing him with a solid foundation in multimedia storytelling and digital content creation. A fan of the LA Lakers, Khelendra found inspiration and guidance in the legendary Kobe Bryant, whose legacy continues to shape his love for basketball.
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Edited by:

Caroline Joseph