Shaq surprised his daughter Me'Arah with a special presentation of her McDonald's All-American jersey during a recent episode of Inside The NBA. Me'Arah was visibly moved as Shaq presented the jersey to her and told her he was proud.
It was a special moment between the father and daughter, who lives with her and stepfather in Texas. Shaq recently opened up to Jason Kelce about how lonely his life is. "Enjoy your family, brother. I lost my family and I didn't have anybody. You got the ring. [I] lost my whole family. I'm in a 100,000-square-foot house all by myself," Shaq lamented on The Big Podcast.
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Shaq's Daughter Commits To Florida
Later this year, Me'Arah O'Neal will head to Florida to begin her college career with the Gators. O'Neal chose Florida over seven other schools, including her father's alma mater, LSU. "I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that's where I belonged. 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 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," O'Neal said.
The #33 recruit in the 2024 class, O'Neal joins a promising Gators class that also includes #16 recruit Alivia McGill, the highest-ranked recruit Florida has ever landed in women's basketball. Furthermore, O'Neal said that the choice to sign with the Gators was hers alone. "My family was just there to support me. I was pressuring myself to make a decision, but I learned I had to be patient. And I did make this decision on my own," she said. The Gators have struggled this season, going 14-13 with a 5-10 record in the SEC. They close out their regular season against Auburn on Sunday. Florida has not reached the NCAA tournament since 2022.
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