Me’Arah’s 5 Scholarship Offers Triggered a Moment of Terror for Keion Courtesy of Shaunie Henderson

“When I first saw Me’arah dribble a basketball, I was actually kind of shocked because no one taught her. She just watched her brothers,” Shaunie Henderson once said. And the 18-year-old has continued to shock everyone since then. Leading her team in blocks, Me’Arah has been on fire this season, showcasing her skills in Florida’s recent victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd at the O’Dome. And her elite performance didn’t go unnoticed.

However, Keion Henderson was still out of the loop. Instead of simply revealing the good news to her stepdad, she and Shaunie traumatized the poor man with a well-thought-out plan.

“I wish people could’ve seen what I did when I walked in the house, and you all held that information from me,” he recounted, looking like he was reliving the moment all over again!

“I walk in, and everyone’s sitting on the couch. My wife looks at me and says, ‘So, you gonna tell him?’ Immediately, I thought, ‘Lord have mercy! What has happened?’,” Keion recalls thinking to himself in The GrOOwZone Podcast.

Bracing himself for bad news, Keion was stunned when Me’Arah casually listed schools like Florida, Tennessee, Baylor, LSU, Duke, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech—the schools from where she received scholarship offers. Needless to say, his initial panic quickly turned into pride!

Meanwhile, Me’Arah continues to shine on the court. Florida clinched their third consecutive win, dominating Marshall 82-63. Me’Arah, along with teammates Ra Shaya Kyle and Liv McGill, led a formidable offensive, with four Gators scoring in double digits. The second quarter saw Me’Arah and Kyle shooting a perfect 100% from the field, keeping the pressure on Marshall.

Moments like Me’Arah’s emphatic block, followed by a thrilling three-pointer and rebound, were the icing on the cake. Wrapping up her night with 7 points and 6 rebounds in just 15 minutes, she’s proving why those scholarship offers are rolling in—and giving her stepdad more surprises to handle.

Keion becomes Shauni Henderson’s daughter’s “bestie”

It’s clear that Me’Arah shares a close bond with her stepdad. After her parents split up when she was just one, Me’Arah spent most of her childhood with her mom. Shaq has always been a part of her life, but it’s Keion who has become a consistent figure in her life, strengthening their connection over the years. And Me’Arah showed just how much she appreciated that last year.

In a surprise Father’s Day tribute on Instagram, the Gators freshman dedicated two posts to her Dad. But Henderson? He got five stories, complete with a playful “bestie” tag. That wasn’t lost on fans, who couldn’t help but notice how much appreciation she showered on her stepdad compared to her HOF father.

Sure, Me’Arah isn’t 18 yet and still lives with Shaunie and Keion, but calling your stepdad “bestie” while giving your own dad just a couple of shoutouts?

That might’ve made the ‘Big Diesel’ wince just a little.

Some fans even joked that it could affect her slice of Shaq’s massive $400 million fortune. It’s all in good humor, but you can’t help but wonder what Shaq really thinks about it. However, Shaquille O’Neal holds his daughter in the highest regard.

In fact, he’s openly praised her basketball potential! During his Naismith Hall of Fame induction speech in 2016, Shaq noted that his 10-year-old daughter would be the best women’s basketball player ever! The 52-year-old even showed up at her latest game to watch her dominate on the court.

Clearly, no Instagram post is changing how proud he is of Me’Arah!