USA Today via Reuters

“I love her as a daughter” — Shaquille O’Neal could not have been more evident about the depth of bond he shares with Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky star has also, on multiple occasions, reflected upon the respect and fondness she holds for the big man. “Yeah my uncle shaq don’t play bout me. period,” her reply to a tweet of O’Neal backing the WNBA star against the haters is one instance of this. The fact that she expects him to take a stand for her in her absence is further a testament to this. But this, in no way, means that the two stars have never had a difference of opinion or that she has never been upset with Shaq.

Angel Reese was mad at Shaquille O’Neal for not taking a stand against Charles Barkley’s remarks

 

It all started with whispers and allegations—were some WNBA players really hating on Caitlin Clark? Things, however, didn’t stay limited to rumors. Soon enough, fans couldn’t help but notice some hard fouls aimed at Clark on the court. This included Reese’s teammate, Chenedy Carter’s hard foul against the Fever rookie. It was even later upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation.

And while multiple stars had subsequently raised their voice in Clark’s support, Barkley came in more brutal in his opinion against other WNBA stars. “You women out there, y’all petty… These girls hating on Caitlin Clark. You’re all petty girls,” he said. And as you might guess, those comments didn’t sit well with everyone. Especially not with Angel Reese, Clark’s longtime rival since their college days.

via Imago

But then Shaquille O’Neal entered the whole scenario. On his Big Podcast with Shaq, he revealed that Reese wasn’t too happy with him, either. She thought he should have spoken up against Barkley’s comments. Big Diesel explained that his Inside the NBA co-host covered that segment, but that he did have a word with Barkley later.

Yet, the former LA Lakers star didn’t stop there. In a later interview with USA Today, he made his own stance crystal clear. “Loudmouths like Chuck are talking about hating — it’s not hating. It’s like, you’re good, but let’s slow it down a notch,” he said. For the 4x NBA champ, it’s less about hate and more about a little professional jealousy—a reminder that sometimes, even the best of the best have to navigate rivalries, both on and off the court.

“Hate when men say that“: Reese’s disagreement with Shaq over his suggestion for WNBA

Isn’t it exciting to see the WNBA finally getting the attention it deserves? With phenomenal athletes like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Cameron Brink stepping into the spotlight in 2024, more fans are tuned in than ever. TV ratings soared, and media coverage expanded, creating a buzz hard to ignore.

However, Shaquille O’Neal believes unless stars like Reese or Clark are on the court, the league still needs a similar excitement factor as men’s basketball to grow further. “Our game is different because we do all the stuff—alley-oops…” he said. Further in the discussion on Unapologetically Angel, Shaq took it a step further by proposing a rather controversial solution.

Lowering the rims to encourage more dunks in women’s basketball. But this solution did not sit down well with Angel. “Just so we can dunk? No! I hate when men say that,” she said. It seemed frustrating for her to think that some still view women’s sports through a narrow lens.

Reese argued that none of this would change anything as people continue to disrespect women. And no matter what, they’re never going to give them the same value as a man. Now, Shaq did highlight Clark’s remarkable shooting skills, but then he added, “A pretty girl dunking on the rim? I’d watch that all day.” While Reese chuckled, her annoyance was low-key visible.

Angel Reese not happy with Shaquille O’Neal’s high praise for Caitlin Clark?

We all know that Shaq and Reese share a bond that’s more like family. No wonder he can share his thoughts with her without much filter. Even if it means praising other young stars. But recently, his admiration for Caitlin Clark on Unapologetically Angel left many wondering—did it ruffle Angel’s feathers a bit?

Picture this—Shaq is in full hype mode, comparing Clark to Steph Curry and praising her poise and game-changing talent. It’s clear he’s genuinely excited about her future in the WNBA. Yet, as he’s gushing over Clark, Angel’s reaction is… well, let’s just say she wasn’t exactly jumping for joy. There seemed to be a slight shift in her expression and a subtle tension in her voice. Even though she kept it professional, you could almost sense that hint of discomfort.

An insult to the injury could have been Shaquille O’Neal comparing Reese to Antawn Jamison. At least, sports columnist Jason Whitlock believes this to be the case. “She (Reese) thinks she is one of the best players to grace the earth. Antawn Jamison isn’t even in anybody’s Top 200 NBA All-Time greats,” he wrote in a post on X.

No doubt that Reese is an exceptional rebounder, who has even attracted comparisons with Dennis Rodman. But considering that Jamison was more efficient at scoring than Reese is in her league and he still was instrumental on the rebounding end makes it no less than a compliment for the Sky star.

However, Whitlock believes the comparison portrays Reese as a role player and not a star. And that too when he compared Clark to one of the greatest stars of this generation—Steph Curry. Now it’s not as if these instances are likely to change the bond between Shaq and Reese. If anything, these could very well be an example of how people value the bond over the difference of opinions.