Shaquille O’Neal has made it clear that he stands firmly behind Angel Reese, not only for her performance but also for the way she carries herself despite all the criticism. O'Neal praised the Chicago Sky star for staying true to who she is, no matter what critics say, crediting that attitude for her success on the court.On the Straight Game Podcast, host Ty Ellis gave O'Neal credit for defending Reese after Robert Griffin III’s harsh comments. Ellis then asked Shaq what it is about Reese’s game and personality that makes him admire her so much, to which the LA Lakers legend responded:“Angel reminds us of us. She plays how she plays. Doesn't matter what people say, doesn't matter what people think. She plays with a certain spirit, with a certain ferocity, and I respect that about her.”Shaq also shared a story from Reese's college days when he helped her navigate through a tense moment with her coach.“So her and her coach had a little spat and she was getting ready to go off and I had to call her and explain to her,” Shaq recollected. “I said, 'listen, it's all part of the game. When you're the best, heavy is the head that wears the crown.' So these are things you have to go through. So I kind of talked her off her ledge, and I kind of wanted to be her mentor and just help her get through things.” Beyond their mentor-mentee bond, Shaquille O’Neal and Reese also work together professionally. In his role as Reebok’s president of basketball, Shaq chose Reese as the first athlete to join the brand under his leadership.She now has her own signature shoe with the company, the Angel Reese 1, which was released recently.Shaquille O’Neal threatened to punch Robert Griffin III over Angel Reese remarksAt the start of the 2025 season, Angel Reese found herself in an unexpected feud with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III. The beef began after a heated game on May 17 between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, when Reese and Caitlin Clark had got into a physical altercation. Griffin had posted on X:“Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark.”That comment set off a chain of back-and-forth exchanges between Reese and Griffin, with both sides calling each other out on social media in the ensuing weeks.Things escalated further last month when Griffin shared a photoshopped image of the NBA 2K26 cover that depicted Reese as a monkey. Shaquille O’Neal stepped in to defend Reese, making it clear that he was ready to put an end to the attacks, warning Griffin:"RGIII, tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese, and I'm gonna punch you in your f***ing face. K. It's enough," Shaq said. "Like, I don't usually do stuff like this, but stop it, bro. You got your job. You got your podcast. :eave my Angel Reese alone.”Since Shaq’s intervention, both parties have remained silent, bringing the beef to a halt.