In a jaw-dropping video, WNBA star Angel Reese found herself on the losing end of a $100,000 bet against NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Despite being on campus three decades apart, two of LSU basketball’s greatest players share a strong bond.
Angel Reese holds “father figure” O’Neal in such esteem that she told the outlet she plans to ask him to participate in her Senior Day festivities, which are usually reserved for family members.
The Sky forward called Shaq “super-inspiring” and even told the world how much he backs her. Reese said in an interview with USA Today, “He’s so genuine, he’s been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there’s not a more perfect person for me to be tight with. We had fun, and if I needed anything, he would help me … and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn’t care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person.”
Known for his towering presence and dominant performances on the court, O’Neal is not typically associated with free-throw shooting prowess. His career free-throw percentage of 52.7% is a testament to this fact. Undeterred, Reese challenged Shaq to a free-throw contest.
What seemed like a surefire win for Reese quickly took a surprising turn. As the 7-foot-1 NBA Hall of Famer approached the line, a sense of playful tension was in the air. Then, in a moment that stunned both Reese and the internet, Shaq effortlessly sank the free throw on his first attempt.
The viral video captured Reese’s shocked reaction as she watched the ball glide through the hoop. Her confidence quickly turned into disbelief as she realized she had just lost the hefty $100,000 bet.
Despite the surprising loss, Reese took it all in stride, laughing off the moment. “I was not expecting that,” she admitted in the video, still in shock over Shaq’s successful free throw.
The basketball legend, who was the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and went on to play for six different NBA teams over a 19-year career, said the rookie can take comfort in his advice because of his league experience.
