Shaquille O’Neal, the larger-than-life basketball superstar and business mogul, has seen several of his children embrace athletics. From Shaqir O’Neal chasing his hoop dreams to Myles O’Neal dominating on the EDM stage, the O’Neal legacy is alive in every aspect. However, Shaq’s eldest daughter is carving her own unique story—and recently made headlines with a bold request.

Recently, through her social media, Taahriah O’Neal was seen attending her friend’s wedding. With a single Instagram post, she’s thrust herself into the spotlight, asking her legendary father, Shaq, to set aside funds for her wedding, proving that in the O’Neal family, ambition runs as deep as their bank account. “@Shaq start putting money aside. NEOW,” wrote Taahriah as the caption.

Taahriah, born to Shaq and his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh in 1996, has been navigating her own journey of success and self-discovery. Unlike her father’s thunderous basketball career, she’s building a reputation in the communications and business niche. After graduating from Oglethorpe University in 2019, she started working for PepsiCo as a communications associate analyst and also from time to time manages her dad’s entertainment company: Mine O’ Mine.

Now coming to the relationship between Shaq and Arnetta Yardbourgh. It was a significant chapter in the basketball icon’s personal life. They both first met in high school and Yardbourgh even accompanied the seven-footer to the 1992 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately, their time together was short-lived as they split up four years later in 1996 after Taahriah was born.

Apart from this, if we look at Big Diesel’s wealth, it is nothing short of legendary. With an estimated net worth of $500 million, accumulated through his NBA earnings, endorsement deals, and investments in companies like Ring, Five Guys, Papa John’s, Krispy Kreme, and his own fast-food chain, Big Chicken, Shaq is more than capable of funding a wedding that would be the talk of the town.

For Shaq, providing a grand wedding for his daughter is well within his means. Moreover, Taahriah’s bold Instagram request reveals more than just a desire for a spectacular wedding. It showcases a generation of celebrity children who are unafraid to communicate their aspirations directly, leveraging their family’s platform to create their own narratives. With this said, the 28-year-old also isn’t afraid to share her opinions.

Taahriah O’Neal’s view towards Shaq’s profession

We all know Shaq is a towering figure in basketball history, both literally and figuratively. Over a 19-year NBA career, Shaq racked up four championships, three Finals MVP awards, and over 28,000 career points, cementing his legacy as one of the most dominant centers to ever play the game. However, even after having such a pro basketball player by her side, Taahriah was never attracted to the sport.

Earlier this year during a podcast appearance, the 28-year-old had made it clear that she’s happy and comfortable with her choice of not choosing athletics as a profession. “I have like the utmost respect for athletes … where I am in my life especially growing up the way that I did I don’t want that for myself … I need your time… I really don’t want to go toe-to-toe with someone’s schedule.”

“I had these two huge shadows to kind of follow behind if I wasn’t Shaquille’s daughter I was Arnetta’s daughter yeah and it was a lot and I think like a lot of kids you just kind of get used to it I was very comfortable being ‘oh Shaquille’s daughter the one who doesn’t play basketball,’” said Taahriah on the “Do I know You? w/Jordierae” podcast

As mentioned earlier, the Oglethorpe graduate works for Pepsico and Shaq’s entertainment company, Mine O’ Mine. Her bold stance highlights the importance of individuality, proving that greatness comes in many forms—even off the court.