Texas Southern forward Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaquille O'Neal, enters NCAA Transfer Portal
Texas Southern Tigers forward Shaqir O’Neal has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned.
Shaqir O’Neal comes from basketball royalty, as he is the son of LSU Tigers and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. He played sparingly for Texas State, amassing 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season.
Additionally, Shaqir O’Neal’s brother, Shareef O’Neal, also spent some time in Baton Rouge, playing for the Tigers from 2020-2022 after starting his collegiate career with the UCLA Bruins. Shareef O’Neal was not picked during the 2022 NBA Draft, but has played in the NBA G League since then, and was named to the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.
Perhaps Shaqir O’Neal will follow in his family’s footsteps moving forward, as there’s an obvious connection to Baton Rouge. Prior to his collegiate career, O’Neal spent his high school years attending Union Grove High School in McDonough (GA), so you can’t rule that area out either.
Regardless, Shaqir O’Neal’s name will certainly be an interesting one to watch over the next couple of months, as the Transfer Portal rages forward.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal walks with Angel Reese during Senior Day celebrations
Earlier this season, LSU Women’s Basketball had a special guest during its Senior Day celebrations. LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal walked with senior Angel Reese during the festivities. Reese was also joined by her mother.
Reese and O’Neal boast a special bond. When Reese stepped away from team earlier this season, O’Neal would send her supportive messages. After Reese boosted LSU to a national championship, O’Neal sang her praises, calling her “the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports.”
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Reese stated she doesn’t consider O’Neal a basketball mentor or a celebrity acquaintance but rather “a father figure.”
“He’s super inspiring to me,” Reese said. “He’s so genuine, he’s been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there’s not a more perfect person for me to be tight with. We have fun, and if I need anything, he would help me … and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn’t care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person.”
LSU assistant Bob Starkey believes Reese couldn’t have a better person in her corner.
“It’s incredibly important to me that I know Angel has Shaquille every step of the way,” Starkey told USA TODAY Sports. “Shaquille is an incredibly loyal person. When Shaquille is in your camp, he’s 10 toes in.
“Even when Angel was going through some difficulties earlier this season, he was right there for her. Where some companies might want to distance themselves from negative (attention), not Shaquille. He’s going to be there for her forever.”
As you can see, the pair are close friends, and O’Neal wasn’t about to miss out on Reese’s special day. LSU will welcome Angel Reese back with open arms if she decides to return next year, as she has another season of eligibility.