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March Madness Star Giving Up His Dream of Going Pro to ‘Support His Family’ Earns Shaquille O’Neal’s Son Shaqir’s Admiration

Published 03/27/2023, 11:11 PM EDT

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NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal never fails to chime in with his thoughts on anything and everything associated with basketball. As the March Madness frenzy reaches its zenith, O’Neal has contributed his vital takes on the tournament. However, as it turns out, Shaq is not the only one in the O’Neal family who cares about the March Madness. As four teams out of the initial 68 marched into the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, the 4x-NBA champion’s son Shaqir O’Neal took to social media and shared his thoughts on an NCAA star who made it to the Semi-finals.

Last night, the San Diego State Aztecs defeated the Creighton Bluejays and cruised into their first ever Final Four. Despite his plans to leave the team for personal reasons, an Aztecs star stayed with the team and his efforts proved to be very crucial in the side’s success. Shaqir O’Neal took a moment to acknowledge this effort from the fellow NCAA star.

Son of Shaquille O’Neal has eyes on Aztecs star

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Nathan Mensah, a San Diego Aztec, has a lot of responsibility on his shoulder. Apart from being the last resort for the Aztecs’ defense, the NCAA superstar is the only pillar of support for his grandmother and siblings in Ghana. Mensah has unfortunately been unable to fulfill all of his family’s needs by staying with the Aztecs, even after getting the chance to go pro last year.

The San Diego State Aztecs had a disappointing campaign at the NCAA tournament last year. Instead of leaving his side on a sad note, the 24-year-old decided to stay while starting a side hustle to help his family.

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Nathan Mensah started to work 20 hours a week for a wealth management firm, so that he could send some money home and continue playing for the Aztecs. This loyal gesture of Mensah caught Shaqir’s attention, who shared a story on his Instagram page to appreciate Mensah. The post shared by Shaqir reveals an inspiring story of how the Aztecs center gave up his dreams to go pro to support his family. Not only did he stay with the Aztecs, but he has led them to new horizons.

READ MORE: “Saved Us the Embarrassment”: March Madness Setback for Michael Jordan’s Alma Mater Ignites Wildfire Online

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All eyes on the final four

This weekend will witness the clash of the quartet that has survived March Madness till now. Nathan Mensah’s San Diego Aztecs will face the Florida Atlantic Owls. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Huskies will lock horns with the Miami Hurricanes. Among the four teams, the Aztecs are the only side to make their first ever Final Four appearance.

Nathan Mensah and Co have a weaker offense compared with the other teams. However, they came this far on the back of their rigid defense. Fans will be happy to see Nathan Mensah’s efforts getting paid off if they get the upper hand in the Semi-final.

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WATCH THIS STORY:  7 Ft Shaquille O’Neal’s 5’2″ Ex-Girlfriend Who Got Popular as His First Partner After Divorce with Ex-wife Shaunie 

What do you think about Mensah being appreciated by Shaqir O’Neal, son of NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal? Will him and the Aztecs achieve more glory going ahead?

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Written by:

Krishna Prasad M

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Krishna Prasad is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. A trained reporter, Krishna's intense passion for sportswriting prompted him to become an NBA journalist.
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Edited by:

Aayush Kapoor