Can’t go wrong following the Shaquille O’Neal guide to success. And Angel Reese owns it well. Ever since their first meeting, the bond Shaq made with his fellow Tiger has been one for the books. From the moment she arrived in Lousiana, Reese seemed to follow Shaq’s blueprint while improving on it. She won LSU a title, redefining brand deals, and was close to breaking Shaq’s all-time record. Those are taking a step further than Shaq.

But, she credits her uncle for giving her the push every step of the way. So, it’s not hard to see some of Big Aristotle in this WNBA star. Let’s look at some of these similarities.

#1 Bayou beginnings

As the story goes, Jersey-born Shaq met Tigers coach Dale Brown in Germany and years later, Brown brought him to Louisiana State University. That was the start of Shaquille O’Neal, a McDonald’s All-American, getting national fame while collecting individual accolades like All-American and SEC Player of the Year twice, NCAA men’s basketball player of the Year, Associated Press College Player of the Year, and more.

He’d leave LSU early to enter the 1992 NBA draft and his career, from that point on, made him one of the greatest LSU alums in the school’s hall of fame with a bronze statue at the athletics department.

Three decades since Shaq left LSU, a 2020 McDonald’s All-American Angel Reese transferred here from Maryland. The Bayou Barbie emerged as a star right away under Kim Mulkey. She led the SEC in rebounds and other honors but where she outdid Shaq, was bringing the program’s first NCAA championship in 2023 over Iowa and her biggest rival, Caitlin Clark.

The lead-up to it was dramatic and O’Neal backed his alma mater the entire time. He’d meet Angel Reese after that win while accompanying his youngest daughter, Me’Arah on a college tour, as per USA Today. Meezy committed to Florida but Shaq took Reese under his wing from their first encounter. From there began the coolest ‘Unc & Niece’ relationship in LSU history.

#2 The Reebok revival

Shaq arrived at the peak of the NBA’s transition to Primetime thanks to Michael Jordan. By most accounts, he was bringing as much marketable stardom as the Air Jordan namesake. So, there was a lot of speculation about which sneaker giant will get the next big thing. The winner was Reebok.

He became Reebok’s first signature NBA athlete and made it Nike’s biggest rival. The day he broke the first NBA backboard in his rookie season, the dunkman logo was born. Under Shaquille O’Neal’s popularity, Reebok occupied a huge share of the sneaker market close to Nike. Eventually, Shaq was disenchanted with the idea of selling overpriced shoes and didn’t renew his contract. Reebok eventually went to Adidas and declined starkly. Shaq pushed his business partners at Authentic Brands Group to acquire Reebok in 2021 and position himself as the president of basketball operations in 2023.

One of the first things, he and his new VP, Allen Iverson, did was tease that their first signing is a GOAT. By then, Shaq had placed Angel Reese as LSU’s GOAT over himself. It wasn’t surprising when she signed an NIL deal under her mentor. His purpose in bringing Reese to Reebok was clear – he wanted her to go beyond basketball and establish herself as a multi-hyphenate like himself.

Since going pro, she’s now Reebok’s newest signature athlete. She designed her first collection and sneakers which dropped recently. Inspired by the very reason Shaq left Reebok, Reese made her Reebok collection more “accessible.“

#3 The Record-Breaking pursuits

Unlike the 1992 first-overall pick by the Orlando Magic, Angel Reese was selected seventh overall by Chicago Sky. Shaq was ecstatic for her, regardless. Very soon, the hyped WNBA rookie class put the league on notice.

At LSU, Reese established herself as a rebounding force for the Sky. The now Chi-Town Barbie was on a double-double streak that went for 16 games out of 22 games in her career. That’s a WNBA record that put her in an exclusive club with her Unc. Big Diesel is the only player in the NBA and WNBA to record the most double-doubles in the first 22 games of their careers. He went up to 19 in 1993 but Reese’s streak ended at 16.

Reese didn’t make the cut for Team USA but even Shaquille O’Neal didn’t till his fourth season. Chicago Sky returned from the Olympic break with their forward back on a double-double spree. And this time, she matched Shaq in a record. The 22-year-old grabbed a second consecutive game with 20+ rebounds. The only one to make that feat was Shaquille O’Neal in April 1993. And if she does it for a third straight game? Champagne’s on Unc.

#4 A sweet pairing

O’Neal likes to have his finger in every pie but his latest business was unexpected. He teamed up with Hershey’s to come up with his brand of gummies that, on brand, are shaped after the giant’s head. Shaq-A-Licious Gummies hit the shelves in 2024 and the 7-foot goofball has been urging everyone to ‘bite his head off.’

It wouldn’t be surprising if Shaq-A-Licious himself had something to do with Hershey’s inking a deal with Reese. But, Angel trumped Shaq here. Reese’s fandom is dubbed ‘Reese’s Pieces’ after the Hershey’s peanut butter treat. It made sense for chocolatiers and its namesake to come together in a fun brand deal.

On the day Reese matched Shaq’s record, she debuted her Reebok sneakers in the recognizable orange and brown Reese’s Cups colorway. Celebrating their new ambassador is an Angel and Reese’s inspired apparel collection including hats and tees.

And there’s more to come. Shaq has tasked his niece to match his biggest first-year accomplishment yet – winning ROTY.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger