Getty Image / Ron Jenkins
College Basketball national champion Angel Reese has emerged this Spring as one of the biggest names in Sports after she led LSU to a national title over Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Speaking with The Big Pod this week, Shaq took the hyperbole to a new level but then clarified that he wasn’t being hyperbolic. Shaq named Angel Reese as the single greatest athlete to ever play at LSU.
LSU has been an incubator for some of the greatest athletes in history. The list of pros to come out of Baton Rouge includes Shaq himself, as well as Joe Burrow, Lolo Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., Sha’Carri Richardson, Alex Bregman, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Devin White, Leonard Fournette, and the list, goes on, and on, and on.
There are six former LSU Tigers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But sure, Shaq is entitled to his opinion on Angel Reese:
Shaq with some high praise for a fellow LSU athlete 👀
(via The Big Pod) pic.twitter.com/oR5AmC19rR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2023
LSU fans and sports fans in general, however, aren’t so fast to agree with Shaq’s take on Angel Reese. Here’s what people are saying:
Come on now. People was just saying this about Sha'Carri Richardson before her incident. Honestly I like Angel, I disagree with what she did Clark. But let’s be honest Alexis Morris was the real MVP!
— Doc Louallen (@LouallenDoc) April 11, 2023
They’re roasting the big guy:
Shaq: pic.twitter.com/H9oUybKWF0
— Prim ☻ (@PNW_Prim) April 11, 2023
Joe Burrow and Shaq, two former LSU Tigers who had a larger impact on sports than Angel Reese. And I’m not saying Angel Reese doesn’t have the opportunity to do great things. She could go down as the GOAT by the end of her career. But to call her the greatest athlete when her body of work is a LOT LOT LOT smaller than other LSU Tigers seems insane.
Or even Shaq himself 🤣
— #BetWithBlake (@BetWithBlake) April 12, 2023
This sums up what people are saying about Shaq’s take on Angel Reese:
Shaq isn’t even top 5 in LSU history
(1) Pete Maravich
(2) Bob Pettit
(3) Angel Reese
(4) My cousin
(5) Ben Simmons— SMH24 (@smh24yt__) April 11, 2023
How did I forget Pistol Pete Maravich on the list of LSU legends?!
Personally, what kills me about this take is Shaq has forced people like myself to diminish the incredible accomplishments and talent of Angel Reese while comparing her to other greats.
The fact that we can’t just let her incredible championship performance live on its own without having to compare it to everyone at LSU who has done great things is frustrating because she is an incredible talent with the brightest of futures.
If anything, Shaq is doing what he does best these days and that’s making headlines.