“When you’re a champion, you’re allowed to,” Shaq defends Angel Reese and rubbishes all criticism directed towards her
Shaq stands up for LSU’s Angel Reese after she taunts Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in the title game.
Via RevoltTV
LSU’s Angel Reese had a night to remember on Saturday, as she helped the Tigers capture their first women’s college basketball national championship with a 102-85 victory over Iowa. Reese scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists in a dominant performance. But it was her gesture at the end of the game that drew the most attention and controversy.
Reese taunted Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who had 30 points in a losing effort, by mimicking her “you can’t see me” move that Clark had done in the Final Four game against UConn. Reese also pointed to her ring finger, indicating that she had just won a title. The gesture sparked a heated debate on social media and among some commentators, who criticized Reese for being “classless” and “disrespectful”. Others defended Reese, saying that trash-talking is part of the game and that Clark had done the same thing without any backlash.
One of Reese’s most vocal supporters was NBA legend and Inside the NBA host Shaquille O’Neal, who took to Twitter to defend the 20-year-old. “When you’re a champion, you’re allowed to TYS: talk your stuff,” Shaq said to People. “Angel Reese is a beast. Congrats to LSU.” Shaq also slammed Keith Olbermann and Dave Portnoy, who had called Reese a “f****** idiot” and “classless piece of s***.” Shaq called them “clowns” and told them to “shut up”.
Reese, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, said after the game that she was just having fun and that she respected Clark as a player. “I’m not going to apologize for being me,” Reese said. “I play with passion and emotion. I love this game and I love my team. We worked hard for this and we deserve to celebrate.”
Also Read: Angel Reese’s Net Worth in 2023: How much is she worth?
Shaq comes to the defense of Angel Reese amid online backlash
LSU’s Angel Reese received some backlash on social media after she celebrated her team’s first women’s college basketball national championship with a taunt directed at Iowa’s Caitlin Clark on Saturday night.
Some commentators, such as Keith Olbermann and Dave Portnoy, called Reese a “f****** idiot” and “classless piece of s***” for her gesture. Shaq took to Twitter, writing “so is your mother” to Barstool Sports founder Portnoy and “shut your dumb a*s up leave Angel Reese alone” to sports journalist Olbermann. Olberman later issued an apology, claiming that his remark was “uninformed.” He went on to say that both Reese and Clark were “wrong.”
Reese responded to Shaq’s tweet with gratitude and affection. “Yeah my uncle Shaq don’t play bout me. Period,” she wrote. Reese clarified that Shaq is not her biological uncle, but rather a term of endearment or respect. Shaq attended LSU from 1989 to 1992 and has a strong bond with the Tigers program.
Shaq, who praised this year’s women’s Final Four as “the best Final Four in sports history,” told PEOPLE that he reached out to Reese personally to tell her not to worry about the critics. “I talked to Angel yesterday. I said, ‘Hey, you’re a champion. Enjoy being a champion and have fun.’ ” Shaq also said that the online trolls were “making a big deal of” Reese’s celebration and that he had a problem with Twitter as a platform. “That’s the problem with Twitter…Everybody gets to voice their opinion,” Shaq said.
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Ankush Singh
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