Is Reese the best LSU athlete in history?
All eyes are on Angel Reese. LSU’s star forward has guided her team back into the NCAA Tournament, where the third-seeded Tigers are attempting to defend their national championship amidst major intrigue and one of the most competitive tournament fields in years.
Reese has never been one to be sidetracked by the pressures that surround her or her teammates, and she has continued to shine in her fourth NCAA season despite being suspended early. That, among other reasons, prompted Shaquille O’Neal to lavish Reese with special appreciation on his podcast.
Shaq makes it apparent.
Speaking on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal stated that Reese is the single greatest athlete in LSU sports history, surpassing himself and many Heisman Trophy winners in football.
“She’s probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU sports,” O’Neal said in a statement. “You heard it here first.”
Although some will argue in favor of Joe Burrow, who led the Tigers football team to a national championship in 2019, O’Neal believes Reese’s accomplishments, including a surprising national title in 2023, are unique.
In her fourth year at LSU, Reese averaged more than 19 points and 13 rebounds per game. The Tigers went 24-5 with her in the lineup, a season after defeating Caitlin Clark and Iowa to win the national championship.
“She delivered,” O’Neal stated. “She delivered the package. See, many of us received the package, and we still have it in our trucks. There are a number of names you can throw around, men and women, but she’s definitely the best athlete.”
Tigers are still the topic of college basketball.
Even though Clark’s record-setting season at Iowa has brought renewed attention to women’s college basketball, LSU’s stars still shine brilliantly for their successes on the hardwood—and the money they’re collecting off.
Reese is one of four LSU players to secure their own shoe agreement, emblematic of the new landscape in college sports. Players’ ability to control and profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights — as well as freer movement via the transfer portal — has turned the game upside down. Reese and guard Hailey Van Lith both transferred into LSU’s program from other schools, showing how the loosened restrictions have shaped women’s college basketball in 2024
LSU has opened the tournament at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against the 14th-seed Rice Owls, seeking another run to the national final amid intrigue over Reese’s future in college basketball. No matter where this year’s run takes them, Reese and the Tigers will be closely scrutinized by viewers around the country — especially in light of O’Neal’s praise.
Leave a Reply