Me’Arah O’Neal is her own ink inspiration. Her father, Shaquille O’Neal, couldn’t get a tattoo until he entered the league, having to seek his parents’ permission first. However, with a generational shift comes a change in mindset. Shaq’s youngest daughter got the coolest tattoo inked on her hand before starting college season in Florida. And for inspiration, she chose herself. 

She got her face tattooed on her hand. There’s another inspiration too. Showing one finger placed on her lips, the tattoo resembles her father’s former teammate Kobe Bryant‘s famous pose from the 2008 Olympics game against Spain. During that game, Kobe used the pose to silence the critics after hitting a clutch three-pointer. The youngest O’Neal shared the first look on her IG Story.

Me’Arah must have drawn inspiration from this moment. Furthermore, the words “The World Is Yours” are written above her forehead on the tattoo. Under the guidance of Florida Gator’s head coach Kelly Rae Finley, Me’Arah will lead the team to achieve its goal of winning a women’s basketball title.

She had almost chosen her father’s alma mater LSU, however, a conversation with the Gators head coach changed her mind. With the regular season starting in November, Me’Arah will have a chance to show her talent at the collegiate level. Her brother, Shareef, chose to honor Kobe and Gianna with his own tattoo as well.

Shareef O’Neal honored Kobe and Gigi Bryant with his tattoo

Shareef was still in college when he got a massive tattoo on his leg to honor Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

Just days after the tragic accident in January 2020, that claimed the lives of Kobe, Gianna, and seven others, Shareef got the tattoo.

He had the words “Mamba Mentality” and the famous Bryant logo inked on his leg. On the other side of the same leg, Shareef tattooed Bryant’s iconic pose that had him shooting basketball. Just above it is Gianna’s Mamba Academy jersey featuring number 2. He also added the 5x NBA champ’s jersey numbers 8 and 24 to honor his contribution.

Shareef revealed that Kobe had texted him earlier that unfortunate day. The 5X NBA champion had simply wanted to check in on Shareef. He wrote, “You good fam?” However, by the time Shareef replied, it was too late. “Not only were you a great uncle, but you were also a coach and a mentor to me. I love you, man. Thank you for everything you’ve done,” Shareef wrote on Instagram, expressing his grief over the heartbreaking loss. This tribute was Shareef’s way of honoring Bryant’s legacy.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary