Shaquille O’Neal and Angel Reese shared a heartwarming moment in front of fans at LSU on Sunday.
O’Neal walked onto the court with Reese and her mother, also named Angel, during the Tigers’ senior day celebration at his alma mater LSU.
Sporting custom-made shirts featuring animations of the LSU star on the front and the words “Bayou Barbie is My Favorite Senior” on the back, Reese’s mother and O’Neal joined the festivities. Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey greeted the group on the court, where they posed for photos while fans chanted, “One more year” at Reese.
The senior day ceremony took place during halftime of LSU’s game against the Kentucky Wildcats, which LSU won 77-56.
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O’Neal, a former star at LSU before being drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992, has become a mentor to Reese over the past year. Reese gained prominence during LSU’s championship run in the 2023 March Madness tournament.
After the game, Reese expressed her appreciation for O’Neal’s support, praising his wisdom and guidance both on and off the basketball court.
“He’s really smart, not just on the basketball court, but just in life,” Reese said of her mentor to ESPN. “Being able to have somebody like that has been a great inspiration for me.”
Reflecting on the online criticism she faced, Reese recalled O’Neal coming to her defense against trolls last April, emphasizing his protective and supportive role in her life.
She continued, “He has his doctorate, so he’s educated, being a lot of things outside of basketball. Being able to have somebody like that has been a great inspiration for me. And of course, enjoying the moment like this with him and the rest of my family was fun tonight,” per ESPN.
In June, Reese spoke to People.com about embracing her role as a role model despite feeling overwhelmed by the attention.
“I’ve kind of embraced it. People are watching me,” she said. “I’m going to learn from mistakes that I make, but I have a lot of great people around me that help me and I’m blessed to have them around me. I’m happy.”
