As regular readers of the ShaqFu Radio blog know, your man Shaq is good buddies – almost a family member – for WNBA star Angel Reese. They both went to LSU, and she’s reached out to O’Neal for advice and counsel more than once during her college days, and as she entered the pro leagues.
That friendship also turned into a business deal. Reese is one of the stars Shaq tapped to help him with the rebranding and rebuilding of the Reebok athletic wear lineup. She’s become a consultant to the company, where Shaq is the President of Basketball Ops. Along with longtime Shaq buddy Allen Iverson and Shaq’s son Shareef, work is underway to make Reebok a big player in the sneaker and sportswear world again.
With the WNBA heading for the Finals, Reese’s season is already over. She suffered a wrist injury late in the season, and sat out the final few days of her Chicago Sky campaign. Even though she missed the last few games of the season, Reese did receive one Rookie of the Year vote. Indiana’s Caitlin Clark got all the rest (but that’s another story for another time).
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So… What’s a young star like Reese to do in the offseason? Well, she apparently used some of her time to make a little wager with her friend and mentor, Shaq. In a video posted to her Instagram Stories and later uploaded to other social media outlets last week, Reese “bet” O’Neal on making a free throw line shot.
Shaq took the bet, and there’s video of him making a nothing-but-net shot, to the cheers of Reese and several friends. Oh, you’re wondering what the bet was worth? How about a cool one hundred GRAND! Caption to the video? Reese wrote, “I guess I owe him 100K 😭.” Yeah, we’d be including a few crying-face emojis as well, if we just dropped 100K on a bet with the big man.
Shaq and Reese – years apart – in their LSU days
Stars like Reese, Clark and others have made this an absolute breakout year for the WNBA. Attendance has skyrocketed. TV coverage and overall ratings are way up, and the games are getting a much-deserved inflow of fan and sponsor attention.
As for Reese, she made her mark with a fantastic college career at LSU, just like her mentor O’Neal. After LSU, she was the seventh overall WNBA draft pick. Reese became known not just for her prowess on the court but also for her personality and strength as she navigated a highly scrutinized and publicized era of women’s college basketball.
Keep in mind that Shaq is also an LSU grad – there’s a statue of him outside the campus arena, just in case anyone forgets. As we’ve said, the two have become friends, with Shaq taking her under his wing to help her through some tough times
In an interview with People Magazine, Shaq said, “I know things that she went through, I know what she’s going through, I know what’s about to happen to her, and I could give her advice.” Shaq has also been highly complimentary of Reese’s on-court talents and skills, saying, “She’s probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports. You heard it here first. Male or female.” Since that would – by definition – include himself…that’s quite the high praise!
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Reese has been traveling back to her old hometown in recent days. In another Instagram post a little while ago, she posted video from a Baltimore Ravens game she attended, along with some pics of her posing in a Ravens jersey with her last name emblazoned on the back. “Baltimore Barbie,” she wrote in the caption, adding, “Hardly home but always reppin.”
So the question remains… Will Reese have to stroke the check for $100 grand for the bet with Shaq? We don’t think Venmo would handle anything that size, but for Reese and Shaq, there might be an exception. May the big man just takes it out of her check from Reebok. Actually, we’re guessing some kind of deal is struck between the two. Not sure if she’ll ever “really” pay up… if we get any more info, we’ll let you know!