There are very few things Shaquille O’Neal did not accomplish during one of the most dominant careers in NBA history. He won four championships, three Finals MVP awards and reshaped what a big man could be in professional basketball. But there is one thing he never quite figured out: shooting from distance. His daughter, it turns out, has no such problem.
Me’Arah O’Neal, a 19-year-old junior at the University of Florida, shot better than 38 percent from three-point range this past season for the Gators, a number that would have been unthinkable for her father, who connected on just 4.5 percent of his three-point attempts across his entire professional career. Shaquille O’Neal has made no secret of his admiration for what his daughter has built, and recently confessed that watching her shoot has stirred something unexpected in him.
A father’s pride mixed with something else
Speaking on his podcast, O’Neal described the experience of watching Me’Arah’s highlights in a way that went beyond simple parental pride. He said he never pushed any of his children toward basketball and explicitly told them the family did not need another player. Me’Arah kept playing anyway, driven entirely by her own passion for the game, and her father now finds himself watching in something close to disbelief.
What struck him most was not just that she was good, but specifically how she was good. Seeing her hit multiple three-pointers in a single game triggered a feeling he had not expected. The range and accuracy that defined the weakest part of his own game has become one of her greatest strengths, and that gap, affectionate as it is, clearly lands with him every time he watches her play.
O’Neal said he rarely tells her directly how proud he is, but that he intends to. The sentiment, clearly genuine, was one of the more candid moments the famously outspoken legend has shared about his family.
Me’Arah’s rise within the Florida program
Me’Arah’s path at Florida has not been without its challenges. Playing time was difficult to come by during her first year, but she has steadily grown into a significant presence in the Gators’ rotation, averaging more than 25 minutes per game this past season. She led the team in both rebounding average and three-point shooting, a combination that reflects both the interior physicality she inherited and the perimeter skill she has developed entirely on her own terms.
As she enters her junior year, her importance to the program has only grown, particularly in light of sweeping changes to the roster and coaching staff.
A program in transition with Me’Arah at the center
Florida is undergoing a significant rebuild under new head coach Tammi Reiss, who takes over a program facing substantial turnover. The team’s leading scorer has entered the transfer portal alongside several other contributors, leaving Me’Arah and one other player as the primary returning pieces. She goes from being a key contributor to being the foundational piece around which a new roster will be constructed.
Reiss will need to move quickly through both recruiting and the transfer portal to build a competitive unit around that foundation. Florida’s incoming recruiting class includes several highly ranked prospects, and additional reinforcements through transfers could reshape the team’s ceiling considerably if the right pieces fall into place.
The challenge is real, but so is the asset Reiss has to build around. Me’Arah O’Neal is not just the most experienced player returning to Gainesville. She is one of the more complete young players in the SEC, a rebounder with range who continues to improve in each area of her game.
Her father already knows it. He just might not have told her often enough.
