“Just Like My Dad”: Burdened by 7’1” Expectations, Shaquille O’Neal’s Daughter Hell-Bent on Quashing Comparisons by Carving Own Niche

Pressure isn’t great. But Shaquille O’Neal has helped his kids to take that collateral of their dad’s fame. The youngest of the family is now on the cusp of branching out on her own. And she’s found her ways to cope with it. Big Diesel’s 17-year-old daughter gave more insight into how she’s dealt with the pressure. And for the people who project her as the next O’Neal to dominate the court, she has a simple message.

Her dad’s got her back for sure. Even if she doesn’t live up to the exorbitant expectations placed on her, Shaq is already proud.

Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter is cool with pressure

Shaquille O’Neal is a multi-hyphenate NBA legend, but he’s also a dad of six children. His youngest kids follow his footsteps to the court fully aware they’re going to be subjected to comparisons. But none more so than Me’Arah.

The 17-year-old was namedropped in her dad’s Hall of Fame speech in a bold way. He declared she would be the best women’s basketball player ever. That was seven years ago when Me’Arah was 10. Those are big expectations and yet, she’s fine with it thanks to a little nudge from Shaq.

“My dad always tells me that pressure makes diamonds,” Me’Arah told ESPN. “I always try to keep that with me, especially in those moments where everyone is watching. I’m just trying to do me and make myself proud.”

It doesn’t stop people from waiting to see her make her dad’s prophecy come true. Or at the least, reach his level. “I’m pretty sure a lotta people expect me to play just like my dad,” Me’Arah said. “Strong, big post player, runnin’ through people, what Shaq does.”

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However, to those people who expect her to be the next Big Aristotle, she says, “But I’m not that.” She instead wants to live up to his legacy while keeping her own identity. “The biggest expectation is to turn out like my dad. But fulfilling that name, that’s not really my goal. … I just wanna be my own person and make a name for myself. And I think I’m doing that pretty well.”

This is a policy Me’Arah’s older siblings have expressed before. And it undoubtedly comes from Shaq himself.

Shaquille O’Neal teaches life lessons with a twist

Much like Me’Arah, her brother Shareef would say that he refused to be known as “Shaq’s son.” The eldest, Myles O’Neal, would reflect on his teenage years when he kept his identity hidden by going to a different school from his siblings. But the siblings never took out any frustrations on their dad.

Shaq would do his best to mitigate the consequences of his fame for his children while also keeping them humble. He’s taught them his policy of “respectable nepotism” where he’ll always support them. But it also means they’ve got to do their own thing instead of expecting Dad to take care of them forever.

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All evidence points to the O’Neal kids being independent of their dad’s strings. You can therefore see how they’re making Shaq proud.