“The coolest in the world”: Fans react as Shaq’s daughter Me’arah O’Neal celebrates 19th birthday on a boat

Florida guard Me’Arah O’Neal marked her 19th birthday in style, enjoying a boat cruise. The celebration drew plenty of love on social media, with supporters chiming in to wish her well and admire the vibes from her special day.

The daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal shared snaps from her birthday celebration on Instagram with the caption:

“1 9🎂 #meezyday.”

The Florida native received an outpouring of well-wishes in the comments section.

“The Coolest in the world @mearahoneal_,” a fan wrote, admiring the Florida guard.

“Happy Birthday,” another fan wrote.

“Happy birthday meez,” someone else followed suit.

Fans react as Shaq’s daughter Me’arah O’Neal celebrates 19th birthday on a boat. Credit: IG/@mearahoneal_

The majority of the comments followed the same tone of wishing O’Neal a happy birthday, while some also expressed their love for her.

“Bday Girl- love ya,” a fan wrote.

“Happy birthday sis @mearahoneal_,” another fan wrote.

“BIRTHDAY GIRL 👯‍♀️,” someone else wrote.

Fans react as Shaq’s daughter Me’arah O’Neal celebrates 19th birthday on a boat. Credit: IG/@mearahoneal_

Like her father, O’Neal chose the basketball path and signed her national letter of intent to the Florida Gators in November 2023.

She had her freshman year with the Gators in the 2024-25 season, helping the program to an 11th-place finish in the SEC with a 19-18 record, which was not enough to make the NCAA Tournament. Florida also failed to go beyond the SEC Tournament quarter-final stage, as they suffered a 101-87 defeat to LSU, with Me'Arah scoring six points in 16 minutes of action.

Me'Arah was a regular feature for Florida in her freshman year with 35 appearances and eight starts, resulting in a 13.6-minute average. The 6-foot-3 guard was seventh on the squad in scoring (4.8 points per game), and she also averaged 3.9 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks.

Me’Arah O’Neal set to represent Florida at USA Basketball 3X Nationals

Me'Arah O’Neal was among four Florida Gators selected to represent the program at the upcoming 2025 USA Basketball 3X Nationals, joining teammates Laila Reynolds, K'Nisha Godfrey and Jade Weathersby.

The event, which runs from May 2 to May 4, features a fast-paced, half-court format where games are either won by the first team to reach 21 points or the team in the lead at the end of a 10-minute regulation. Each possession is limited by a 12-second shot clock, adding to the intensity and urgency of play.