Me’Arah O’Neal, the 17-year-old daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, has committed to playing women’s basketball for the Florida Gators, choosing to blaze her own trail rather than follow in her father’s footsteps at LSU.
In an interview with ESPN, Me’Arah shared the thought process behind her decision, explaining,”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.”
She continued, “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.”
The decision-making process was not without its challenges, but ultimately Me’arah arrived at a decision on her own.
“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.”
Shaq echoed his daughter’s sentiments in an interview, emphasizing that he didn’t influence her choice of university.
“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted. Because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience,” Shaquille said.
When asked about her support system, Me’Arah highlighted the sacrifices made by both her parents. She said, “My dad, of course. Him being who he is. He sacrificed a lot just for me to play basketball. My mom as well, you know she’s a busy woman but she still sacrifices a lot and she’s at pretty much almost every single one of my games.”
