Shaquille O'Neal and Angel Reese posing for a picture
Shaquille O’Neal is one of Angel Reese’s many admirers (Image: @angelreese5/Instagram)

Shaquille O’Neal has enjoyed incredible careers in basketball and business, but even he admits he is a little bit jealous of WNBA star Angel Reese

Shaquille O’Neal has admitted that he is jealous of one accolade Angel Reese has now managed to achieve.

O’Neal, 52, was a pivotal force behind the Los Angeles Lakers’ three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002 and also managed to win a fourth championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006. He also earned a place in the NBA All-Stars 15-times in 20 seasons of competition.

However, Reese, who recently signed a huge endorsement deal with Cash App, boasts one record that O’Neal was not able to break for himself. She managed to drag the Tigers to an NCAA Championship in 2023, something fellow Tiger, O’Neal could not do.

When asked about Reese on The Big Podcast, the 52-year-old said: “For her to be the first person to bring a championship, basketball-wise, to this arena, I named her the greatest athlete in LSU [history], and a lot of people got mad.

“We get judged by championships. We don’t get judged by yards, or points or broken backboards.

“So when I said that, I wasn’t trying to disrespect. I was just trying to give her props. Because she did something that we wanted to do, but we couldn’t.

Angel Reese honoured by LSU Tigers alongside Shaquille O'Neal
O’Neal has always been a fan of the WNBA ( Image:  ESPN)
“I was here for the parade, [more] jealous than a motherf*****. Looking at the people like, ‘damn, I wish I could have done that’.

Reese, 22, recently announced a new partnership with Cash App, which will sponsor her ‘Unapologetically Angel’ podcast. This is just the latest in a series of endorsement deals for the Chicago Sky forward, who recently came in second to Caitlin Clark in the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year vote.

The former LSU Tiger makes most of her income from sponsorships, which significantly outweigh the $73,439 (£56k) salary she earned in her first year in the WNBA. However, it’s anticipated that the pay scale for professional women’s basketball players will shift soon.

Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky looks on from the sidelines before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium

ESPN recently reported earlier this year that WNBA players had reached a new agreement to receive a larger portion of media rights revenue. And these numbers are only expected to continue growing due to increased coverage and viewership over the past few seasons.

Reese has been a significant driving force behind this, teaming up with competitors like Clark to propel the WNBA to new levels. O’Neal has always been a supporter of women’s basketball, and Reese has previously referred to him as “super inspiring”.

And it seems the 7ft 1in giant is not envious of many other athletes, having highlighted Angel’s college accomplishments.