Shaq presented his daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal, with her 2024 McDonald’s All-American jersey on Thursday’s episode of TNT’s Inside the NBA.
Before unveiling the coveted jersey, Shaq greeted his daughter with flowers and a tender kiss on the forehead.
“First of all, i want to say i’m so proud of you. I love you. And i want to present you this,” he said.
Me’Arah is following in her father’s footsteps as she prepares to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, just as Shaq did back in 1989. Standing tall at six-foot-four, and hailing from Episcopal High School in Texas, she is set to represent the West squad at the prestigious high school event.
At just 17 years old, Me’Arah is already making waves as a 4-star prospect status and holds an impressive No. 33 overall player ranking in the 2024 recruiting class, per ESPN HoopGurlz’s rankings. Recently, she led Episcopal to victory in the Southwest Prepatory Conference Class 4A state title, scoring a game-high 28 points in a triumphant win over Kinkaid.
In November 2023, she committed to play women’s basketball for the Florida Gators instead of her father’s alma mater Louisiana State University (LSU).
In an interview with ESPN, she 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 2024 McDonald’s All-American game is set to take placeon April 2 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
