“She’s That Girl”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Daughter Hyped by Mom Shaunie and Siblings After Hitting Dad’s 35YO Milestone

“I [don’t] believe in déjà vu parenting,” said Shaquille O’Neal when his youngest daughter made one of the biggest decisions in her budding career. Following in the footsteps of your parents comes with its challenges. When one of your parents is the legendary Shaquille O’Neal, it makes continuing their legacy that much harder. But Shaq doesn’t want that for Me’Arah O’Neal, and the best part is, she doesn’t want it either. However, even though the LA Lakers legend doesn’t believe in déjà vu parenting—seeing his children as a reflection of himself—he may have gotten a sense of déjà vu when Me’Arah achieved something he did in 1989.

Recently, the nominees for the McDonald’s All-American game were released, and just like her father 35 years ago, Me’Arah was on the list. The game, set to take place on April 2, 2024, at the Toyota Center in Houston, will feature the top 24 female and male graduating players from high schools in the US and Canada. Considering this great honor, Me’Arah uploaded a simple Instagram story acknowledging just that. The people closest to her, however, had other plans.

Leading the charge was the 17-year-old’s mom, Shaunie Henderson. She told her Instagram followers to “wait for it,” then she showed “That’s my child” on Me’Arah’s senior wall. Shaunie followed it with another story to make you “look” at the exact spot on the list that mentioned her daughter. As wholesome as those series of stories were, it was Me’Arah’s elder sister’s reaction that caught everyone’s attention. Amirah O’Neal, a forward for the Texas Southern Tigers, wrote, “She’s that girl.” But that wasn’t all.

The Episcopal High School power forward’s brothers—Myles, Shareef, and Shaqir—also showed their appreciation for their sister. If we rewind to the 1989 McDonald’s All-American game, Shaquille O’Neal—with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks—helped the West Team stop the East Team’s four-game winning streak. As a result, he was named the co-MVP. 

Come April 2, there’s no doubt Me’Arah would first want to be part of the final selection of 24 players. And then, she’d want to shine as bright or even brighter than her father did, especially considering that “fulfilling [the O’Neal] name is not really my goal. I just want to be my own person and make a name for myself.” This came after the 17-year-old announced that she’d signed a letter of intent with the University of Florida last November. Set to play for the Florida Gators from the 2024-25 season, her new team was just as excited about her nomination. 

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“Future Gator” Me’Arah O’Neal is slowly making her dream a reality

After receiving offers from seven other colleges—including Shaq’s alma mater, LSU, the college that helped mold him into the player he became—Me’Arah chose Florida. This is precisely what prompted her father to mention “déjà vu parenting.” He recalled how his father let him decide to join LSU, and he did the same with his daughter, opting to “sit back and let her make her own decisions,” trusting her judgment to choose Florida. Needless to say, the Gators were hyped about Me’Arah’s All-American game selection.

The program now has two McDonald’s All-American nominees on the way. They celebrated both Me’Arah and fellow commit Liv McGill for their honors. “Look at those future Gators… Congratulations to Liv McGill and Me’Arah O’Neal on being nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Game,” they wrote on Instagram. 

Showing her sisterly support, despite being a TSU player, Amirah showed her support once again, commenting, “🐊 😅😅” With all the hype, love, and support going around, Meezy herself couldn’t contain her joy in a single story. She wrote, “One step closer 2 dream could be reality,” acknowledging her mom, siblings, and loved ones’ well-wishes.

Since he mentioned Me’Arah in his Hall of Fame speech, Shaquille O’Neal has always claimed that his youngest daughter would be one of the best players in the sport. And so far, that’s precisely what the 17-year-old phenom has been proving on the court.

Read More: Me’Arah O’Neal Makes Bold Declaration as She Steps Out of Father Shaquille O’Neal’s Shadow With Crucial Choice