USA Today via Reuters
Credits USA Today
USA Today via Reuters
Credits USA Today
It’s difficult to get a legend like Shaquille O’Neal jealous with what you do on the floor. There’s very little that he hasn’t done in his iconic career. But the Los Angeles Lakers legend can’t help but feel that emotion watching his daughter play the game he so loves.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t be prouder of his daughter, stating that she continued to play basketball despite no pressure from the NBA legend. On the Big Shaq podcast, the Lakers icon explained his ‘jealous’ feeling after seeing Me’Arah’s jumper and three-point accuracy.
“Sometimes when I watch her play, I wanna cry because I’m like, she’s (expletive) pretty good. So, I’m happy for her… I tell all my kids, we don’t need another basketball player… But she, she just kept playing… I don’t tell her a lot, so hopefully she sees this. I’m gonna tell her when I see her. She makes me super super proud.”
Top Stories
“I saw some of the highlights. She had like 4 or 5 threes. I was like, goddamn, and you know what’s crazy is it actually made me get jealous because I was like, man, I wish I could shoot like that.”
View this post on Instagram
Shaquille O’Neal is probably one of the few elite big men whose gameplay is hard to replicate. And while he dominated the paint, he struggled from the free-throw line and with his range shooting. His daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal, though, has the three-pointer in her locker and has put it on full display, shooting over 38% from behind the arc this season for the Florida Gators.
While Me’Arah O’Neal struggled for playing time at Florida in her freshman year, she has become a key player and averaged over 25 minutes per game in the Gators’ rotation. The 19-year-old has shown an overall improvement in her game, taking a giant leap in terms of production and efficiency.
Me’Arah led the team in rebounding average and three-point shooting this year. And while the former resembles much of what Big Shaq used to do, Shaquille O’Neal shot 4.5% from the three-point line. Clearly, Me’Arah has not taken after her father in terms of range shooting.
The Gators are looking at a massive rebuild under new head coach Tammi Reiss
As Me’Arah enters her junior year, her role within the Florida setup has just grown tenfold, especially with a head coach change headlining a mass exodus. Tammi Reiss is tasked with rebuilding the Florida roster, with Me’Arah emerging as the centerpiece of the rebuild.
While the 19-year-old already established herself as a key contributor in the 2025-26 campaign, leading scorer Liv McGill has chosen to enter the transfer portal alongside a host of other players, with Me’Arah and Jade Weathersby the only returning players.
The first few reinforcements will arrive quickly, with Florida’s Class of 2026 recruits holding some weight. Five high schoolers are joining the Gators, with Oliviyah Edwards, Trinity Jones, and Autumn Fleary ranked within the top 15 recruits nationally.
McGill and Laila Reynolds’ departure will be compensated to an extent by Autumn Fleary and Trinity Jones, while Oliviyah Edwards is viewed as a long-term replacement for senior Jade Weathersby.
Still, the transfer portal offers great value for Tammi Reiss, especially with stars like Audi Crooks and Kymora Johnson available, two elite scorers whose additions will make Florida a threat in the SEC and nationwide.
Reiss also has to decide how to use Crooks, if she wants to sign her, with Iowa State unable to build a consistent offensive engine last season.
While Reiss has a lot to think about, one thing is certain: She can bank on Me’Arah
Written by
Edited by
Pranav Venkatesh