Shaquille O'Neal: “She delivered the package” - 400M worth Shaq once dropped bold praise for $1.8M NIL-valued Angel Reese

Shaquille O'Neal recently hailed LSU star Angel Reese on his ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’ as O'Neal was all praise for the ‘Bayou Barbie’. The former Lakers legend, worth $400 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), Shaq stated,

“She's probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports. You heard it here first. Male or female.”

He compared the $1.8 million (as per On3) NIL-valued Reese's stature to other star LSU alumni like Joe Burrow and Alex Bregman. In O'Neal's words,

“She delivered. She delivered that package. See, a lot of us got the package, and we still got the package in our truck. She delivered that package.”

Even when the media was after Reese for her comments on Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Shaq never left her side. In support of the LSU forward, Shaq said,

“When you're a champion, you're allowed to TYS: talk your stuff”

On the back of her breakout last season on the court, Reese’s role in leading LSU to victory in the 2023 NCAA Championship was monumental. The LSU faithful will have to bid farewell to their Barbie now as she is gearing up to play the big girls' game in the WNBA.

Also read: "No one has sympathy for the villain" - Emmanuel Acho drops outlook on alleged hate against LSU star Angel Reese after Elite Eight defeat

Angel Reese has one goal after declaring for the WNBA

After declaring her intent to enter the 2024 WNBA draft, the Bayou Barbie is setting her sights on a new chapter in her basketball journey. Following LSU's loss to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight, Reese revealed her aspirations to Vogue.

The 21-year-old, boasting an impressive college career under her belt, stated in the interview with Vogue,

“My ultimate goal is to be a pro-and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I'm ready.”

Angel Reese feels prepared to take on the WNBA as her decision comes after a stellar 2023 season where she averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.

The towering 6-foot-3 forward has dominated the college basketball scene and teams like the Chicago Sky and the Los Angeles Sparks are emerging as potential destinations. The WNBA draft is scheduled to take place on April 15, 2024, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

While Iowa's Caitlin Clark is predicted to be the first overall pick, Angel Reese will find her name listed among the top prospects in her class.

Also read: Angel Reese WNBA draft: Top 5 landing spots for LSU star if she decides to turn pro featuring Los Angeles Sparks