Dave Portnoy points out Shaquille O'Neal's preferential treatment in media despite controversial comments on Angel Reese

Founder of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, pointed out Shaquille O'Neal’s alleged preferential treatment in the media during a conversation with Shannon Sharpe, on Thursday’s episode of Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay.

Speaking on the show, he pointed out that he would be in jail for making the same comments O'Neal made on Angel Reese.

“Shaq, with Angel Reese. He’s like I wanna see her playing in her underwear and like running up,” Portnoy said. “If I said that, I’d be in jail. In jail!”

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The comments Dave Portnoy is pointing to were made by Shaquille O'Neal on the October 24 episode of Angel Reese’s podcast.

“Imagine you in the same little shorts you had on at the Wild 'N Out show dunking," O’Neal said.

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Reese seemed uncomfortable with O'Neal's comments and quickly changed the topic. However, fans caught on, and the Lakers legend was subjected to much criticism on social media.

Like Dave Portnoy said, someone else in Shaq’s position might’ve faced severe repercussions for the same comments. He explained that this preferential treatment by the media means he needs to be meticulous when finding partners for Barstool Sports.

Reebok partnership suggests Shaquille O'Neal and Angel Reese are still on good terms

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Shaquille O’Neal’s comments on Angel Reese left many in doubt over their relationship. Fans questioned whether Reese still considers O’Neal a mentor and “father figure”. Judging from their work with Reebok, it seems like things are fine between the two, though.

Shaquille O’Neal became the president of Reebok in 2023, two decades after he had split with the brand in 1998. Allen Iverson will be working alongside him as VP as the NBA legends look to revive the brand. Now, Reese comes into the mix as the driving force behind Reebok’s remergence in the basketball sneaker market.

Reese is the brand’s star athlete and one of the biggest women’s basketball players in the world, so it’s safe to assume she works closely with O’Neal and Iverson. While Dave Portnoy believes Shaq’s comments could’ve landed him in hot water, it seems like they haven’t changed much between him and Angel Reese.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Bhargav