Angel Reese Reveals She Would Be Scared to Date Shaquille O'Neal Over His 40 Cars and 40 Phones Lifestyle
Key keywords: Angel Reese, Shaquille O'Neal, celebrity dating rumors, LSU women's basketball, NBA legend, Shaq 40 cars, Shaq 40 phones, sports celebrity interviews, viral sports news, WNBA draft prospects
Angel Reese, the NCAA champion and standout LSU women's basketball forward, sent social media into a viral frenzy this week after a candid podcast appearance where she addressed widespread fan speculation about a potential romantic relationship with NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal, bluntly stating she would be "scared" to date him due to his famously over-the-top luxury lifestyle. For months, fans have shipped the pair after O'Neal repeatedly voiced his public admiration for Reese, showing up to support her college games, shouting her out during his national sports broadcast segments, and praising her work ethic and competitive spirit across his social media channels.
The 21-year-old rising basketball star made the viral comment during an appearance on the *Full Send Podcast*, when hosts asked her directly about the unconfirmed dating rumors that have circulated online for months. After laughing off the question initially, Reese clarified that while she has nothing but respect for O'Neal and views him as a kind, generous trailblazer for Black athletes, his extensive collection of 40 cars and 40 separate mobile phones would be far too chaotic for her to navigate in a romantic partnership. "I don't want my man to have 40 cars and 40 phones," she told the panel, drawing laughs from everyone in the studio. "How am I even supposed to get ahold of him if he has 40 different phone numbers? Am I expected to memorize all of them? And what would we even do with 40 cars? I only drive one, maybe two cars max. That whole setup just sounds so overwhelming, I'd be scared to even try making that work."
The 30-second clip of her comments spread like wildfire across TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram within hours, racking up more than 14 million views in the first 24 hours after it was posted. O'Neal, who has long been open about owning dozens of luxury cars to match his personal style and maintaining separate phones for each of his dozens of business ventures, responded to the clip on his own Instagram story a day later, joking that he "would get rid of 39 cars and 39 phones tomorrow" if Reese agreed to go on a date with him, a lighthearted clapback that only amplified the viral moment further. Both parties have made it clear the exchange is entirely playful, with Reese remaining fully focused on her upcoming WNBA draft and professional basketball career, while O'Neal continues his work as a sports analyst, entrepreneur, and community philanthropist.
Featured Comments
As a long-time LSU women's basketball fan, this comment is so perfectly on brand for Angel—she's always been super down to earth and laser focused on her career, not flashy celebrity lifestyles. Shaq's playful response was even better, you can tell they have a really fun, respectful dynamic.
Wait, 40 phones? I can barely keep up with 2 phones for work and personal use, I can't even imagine how Shaq doesn't mix them all up on a daily basis. I totally get where Angel is coming from, that would be so overwhelming for anyone trying to date him.
This is way funnier than any forced celebrity dating rumor I've seen all year. I love that neither of them is taking the speculation too seriously, they're both just leaning into the joke. Now I need them to do a collab where Angel helps Shaq downsize his car and phone collection lmao.
I'm obsessed with how honest Angel is here. So many young athletes would jump at the chance to be linked to a huge household name like Shaq for clout, but she's clearly only focused on what works for her and her long-term goals, which is so refreshing to see.