Angel Reese opened up about how former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal helped her navigate a rough patch in her collegiate basketball career. The Louisiana State University women’s basketball star depended on the LSU alumnus throughout a series of missed games and appearances last month.
Reese returned to the court on behalf of the Lady Tigers during last week’s matchup against Virginia Tech after a four-game absence spanning over two weeks.
“My mental health is the most important thing before anything, and I’m gonna make sure I’m okay before anything because I don’t wanna cause any harm or any cancer within the locker room, so being able to take a reset to myself — like I said before, I am human,” explained the 21-year-old per Nola.com. “I’m not just an athlete, and that’s okay to do. Pros do it all the time.”
She continued to detail how O’Neal is instrumental in her success, especially amid her time off.
“I talked to Shaq every day. We Facetime every day. He checked on me, called me every single day to make sure I was good. He told me every day, ‘This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.’ He’s been here before. He knows what it takes. Just being able to have somebody like that was something that was good for me,” detailed the Bayou Barbie.
“He told me when I was right, told me when I was wrong, told me what I needed to do to get back to where I am. I know he’s probably going to call me after the game if he hasn’t already.”
"She's probably the greatest athlete to come out of LSU sports. Man and female."
– Shaq on Angel Reese
pic.twitter.com/6QAndSbWfT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 11, 2023
O’Neal is currently the President of Reebok Basketball where Reese signed the brand’s first NIL deal. In his role, the sports professional is responsible for leading “Reebok’s reemergence in performance basketball.” Earlier this year, O’Neal described Reese as “probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports.”
The relationship between the two athletes was pivotal in the brand deal coming to life.
“Seeing the work he was able to do with the brand back in the day and his vision for the future, and how Reebok supported him always being his true self – that was a big draw for me,” shared the Baltimore native.
“Also, I wanted to be a part of a brand where I could make my own mark, where I could be unapologetically me, and where I could represent the challengers and game-changers. That’s what this partnership is all about.”
