BREAKING: Shaquille O’Neal’s Youngest Daughter Me’Arah Commits To Big-Time College Basketball Program

Shaquille O’Neal’s youngest daughter has committed to a college as she looks to make a career out of basketball.

Shaq, who’s considered to be the most dominant player to ever suit up in the NBA, is a four-time champion and a Hall of Famer. It’s no surprise that his children want to follow in his footsteps. His son, Shareef, is in the G League, having played for UCLA and LSU. And now his daughter is looking to make her mark on women’s college ball.

Me’Arah O’Neal, ranked No. 33 in the 2024 recruiting class, recently announced her commitment to the Florida Gators.

The 17-year-old, who plays for Episcopal High School in Houston, had several recruiting offers – including from her dad’s alma mater, LSU – but says she felt more connected to Florida than anywhere else.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged,” she told ESPN. “And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida. I felt like I connected with coach Kelly [Rae Finley] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”

Me’Arah also insists that her family had no influence on her decision. and, while Shaq did take her on her visit to LSU, he mostly stayed out of it.

“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,” the former Lakers and Heat superstar said. “Because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

Shaquille O’Neal & Shannon Sharpe Engage In Heated War Of Words Following Shaq’s Strange MVP Interview With Nikola Jokic

Shaquille O’Neal and Shannon Sharpe (Photos via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images and Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Get your popcorn ready, folks. NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal and NFL legend Shannon Sharpe have engaged in quite the social media feud.

Shaquille O’Neal made headlines during his interview with 2024 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic on Wednesday. Speaking to the Denver Nuggets star on TNT, O’Neal congratulated Jokic but told him he believed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder should have won the MVP instead:

During the latest episode of “Nightcap”, Shannon Sharpe opined that O’Neal is jealous of Jokic, who has won three of the last four NBA MVP awards. Sharpe claimed that O’Neal is “envious” of Jokic since “Shaq is never brought up” in the greatest of all time (GOAT) conversations.

Sharpe added more fuel by stating that O’Neal would have had 40,000 career points if he had the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s “work ethic.”