The O’Neal legacy is alive and thriving, as Shaquille O’Neal’s children follow in his legendary footsteps, each carving their path in the world of basketball. After Shaq surprised his daughter MeA’rah O’Neal with an All-Star jersey months ago, she’s already showing promising skills on the court. The highly anticipated season opener for the Florida Gators saw MeA’rah go up against the Florida Atlantic Owls, delivering an impressive performance and helping the Gators win 82-54. Moreover, this game even showed the tough choice Shaunie took after posting about her conundrum last night.

Just a few hours before the game, Shaunie had taken to her Instagram to post about the ultimate choice she had to make as both MeA’rah and her brother Shaqir were playing simultaneously. “The moments I wish I could split myself in half…. Both my babies game openers tonight. I’ll be sitting in the stands watching one while holding my phone watching the other. MOTHERHOOD! I love every minute of it. Cheering for both at the same time!” wrote Shaunie as the caption. However, it seemed like the 49-year-old made up her mind as she attended her daughter MeA’rah’s game, which ultimately fuelled her daughter’s performance.

Starting her season with the Gators, MeA’rah delivered improved numbers, showing her growth and resilience. In just 20 minutes, she scored 7 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist. This may seem modest to some, but for a young player in the spotlight, it’s a notable improvement from her last appearance in October during an exhibition game against Flagler College at the Exactech Arena, when she scored five points with six rebounds. The game ended with Flagler suffering a blowout 85-46 loss.

Now, considering MeA’rah’s resume, she’s poised for greatness. She is ranked the third-highest prospect in Texas and the 33rd-ranked recruit in the country. O’Neal averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds with an assist, and 1.7 assists in 19.8 minutes per game as a Texas-based EYBL club CyFair Elite during the AAU circuit this summer. Last year, she signed a letter of intent with the University of Florida to continue playing college basketball for Florida. “I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” said MeA’rah to ESPN.

Shaunie O’Neal’s presence at the game was a nice touch for the emotional night. As a devoted mother, she faced a tough decision in choosing whose game to attend between her children. Choosing MeA’rah’s game this time, she cheered on her daughter with the same passion that she did during Shaq’s games. But with MeA’rah’s stellar performance, one question arises: How did her brother Shaqir perform?

Shaqir O’Neal’s performance in the season opener

Family support is key for many athletes—most crucially, for young athletes trying to break into the college basketball world. That is probably why Shaunie chose to watch her son’s game through the small screen of her phone—a compromise she had to make to be in two places at once. 

Shaqir O’Neal had a rough season opener, and perhaps some of that was because of his mom’s absence in the stands. The 21-year-old scored only 2 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound in the 15 minutes he played for the team. Although his numbers were better than they were last season (1.8 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 20 minutes of a game), his numbers were not good enough to give the Florida A&M Rattlers a win over the TCU Horned Frogs (59-105).

Moreover, the Florida A&M offense knocked down eight threes on 34 attempts, still that didn’t help them achieve their glory. Shaqir joined Florida A&M’s men’s basketball team in July, and this was his first game with the team. As he continues to refine his game and push through the season, Shaqir will no doubt benefit from the family’s encouragement, and perhaps next time, with his mother in attendance, he’ll deliver a performance worthy of his O’Neal legacy.