“D*mn Near Wanna Cry”: Proud Dad Shaquille O’Neal Gushes Over Daughter Me’arah’s Basketball Skills

NBA stars sons have naturally been a mainstay in mens college basketball, but we rarely hear about daughters making their mark in womens college hoops.

Enter Mearah ONeal, the youngest of Shaquille ONeals six children, who earns her stripes playing ball for the University of Florida.Shaquille ONeal spoke fondly of Mearah during an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, beaming with pride about how shes carved a career for herself.

While chatting with Memphis Grizzlies legend Zach Randolph about their daughters playing college basketball, Shaq revealed how he motivated Mearah with tough love when she was young.

When my daughter was little, shes a beautiful girl.

[I would say to her] No, you cant play, Shaq said.

She used to get so, and then I used to [help] calm her down [by telling her] All right, go ahead dribble.'Of Shaqs 6 kids, 4 have played basketball at the collegiate level.

Shareef played for the UCLA Bruins and the LSU Tigers before going pro in the NBA G League.

Unfortunately, he is no longer on a roster.

His daughter Amirah played for LSU as well, before moving to Texas Southern, and his son Shaqir played for Texas Southern before moving to Florida A&M.

That said, Shaq considers Mearah the best of the bunch.

Shes the best one.

Shareef is good, Shaqir is good.

But, when I go watch her play, I damn want to cry.

I have to keep my composure.

Shes shes really freaking good.Mearahs freshman season at Florida showed signs she might soon live up to her fathers praise.

She made her first start as a Gator against Florida Atlantic on November 4, tallying seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks.

On December 2, Mearah notched her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

She peaked with a career-high 19 points against Arkansas on February 2, leading Florida in scoring for the first time.

She totaled 20 blocks over the season, proving her defensive presence on the court.Shaq also pointed out one thing about Mearahs game that frustrates him: her pace.The only thing I dont like about her is shes like these new-age kids.

They play at their own pace, he told Z-Bo on the podcast.

If she has a turnover, wont sprint back on defense.

Itll just be like like like she plays at her own pace.

That frank observation adds a human touch to his glowing appraisal.How does MeArah fare against her brothers?Last year, Mearah spoke openly about how playing against her brothers shaped her game.

In a 2024 interview, she said, You know boys.

They are aggressive at that age, so playing with them definitely made me play a little more different than other girls.

And just being around them all the time, they are very caring, fun to be around.

Competing against boys helped Mearah develop her style.Shaquille ONeals pride in Mearah goes beyond typical fatherly admiration.

Mearahs presence on the Florida Gators roster offers a compelling story for fans watching the next generation of basketball talent.With Shaqs encouragement and tough love, Mearah could very well blossom in the competitive collegiate environment.

Her size, athleticism, and outside shooting make her a player to watch in her sophomore season.The post D*mn Near Wanna Cry: Proud Dad Shaquille ONeal Gushes Over Daughter Mearahs Basketball Skills appeared first on The SportsRush..

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