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Shaquille O’Neal has been a proud standout from LSU all his career. Whether it was as an athlete or an ambassador, O’Neal has done a remarkable job representing the university. While the alumni class for LSU is rife with historical names, its athlete class is a little barren. Since Shaq, very few standout players have made it through the ranks, particularly in the Los Angeles Lakers star’s hunting ground, basketball.

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While Ben Simmons showed a ton of potential, it ultimately fizzled out. However, the last few months have seen a serious uptick in the basketball program at LSU, on the women’s side. While Angel Reese grabbed headlines for months, Shaquille O’Neal now has his eyes on a different athlete from his alma mater.

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Shaquille O’Neal is a fan of an LSU rapper and baller

Even though Angel Reese was the one making headlines, LSU fans know how important Flau’jae Johnson is to the squad. The starting shooting guard for the lineup, Johnson was vital to the team’s success in the NCAA tournament.

Since high school, Flau’jae has been a standout athlete. The MVP of the Jordan Classic, Johnson even earned a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Her school honored her by retiring her jersey number, becoming the first girl to receive the honor.

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During her freshman year, Johnson averaged 11 points and 5.9 rebounds, earning the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year award in the process. However, the star has earned a name away from basketball as well.

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Flaunting the stage name Flau’jae, Johnson is a rapper intent on continuing her father’s legacy. The social media sensation even appeared on shows like The Rap Game and America’s Got Talent. Recently, the Roc Nation signee released a teaser for her new single, 4 Days Away. Shaq was immediately on board with his alma mater’s newest sensation, sharing her posts on his IG story.

Read More: “Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to Have 9.9 Million Views, That’s Remarkable”: NCAA Champions Reminisce About “Frustrating” Drama

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Unlike the controversial Angel Reese, Flau’jae has steered away from any controversies and built a solid foundation for herself.

The Angel Reese-NCAA controversy

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While Reese and the LSU Tigers won a historic first-ever NCAA tournament, the moment was spoiled by the drama that followed. During the game, Angel made a hand gesture to another tournament star, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. The move got her much backlash, though she still has forged a remarkable career for herself.

While she has spoken at length about the impact it had on the team, the 21-year-old has since moved on from the incident. As her love life starts heating up, Reese has constantly kept fans updated about the ongoing in her life.

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Watch This Story: Months After Ugly Incident, LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne Finally Makes Public Appearance at Baseball Game

While her teammate gets ready to release her song, Reese isn’t far behind, having earned a collab with international sensation Cardi B. After years of mediocrity, Shaq will sure be happy to see the strong crop of athletes coming out of LSU.

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Priyanshu

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Priyanshu is an NBA beat Writer at EssentiallySports, with a healthy command over the technical aspects of the sport. Priyanshu has creatively covered the often entertaining interactions between legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley along with in-depth analysis of the games. He was at the forefront of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, covering each and every aspect of the historic night in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, his article on Shaq and the UFC garnered close to a million pageviews. Moving away from the world of sports, Priyanshu is also an avid gamer, who can display other-worldly skills on NBA 2K.

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Aayush Kapoor

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