2 seed until COVID-19 nixed the tournament. They talked about the weather and the upcoming 2019 season, when O'Neal, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, would make her debut after redshirting her first season with the Longhorns. With their city hosting the Final Four, the Cougars don't shy from national title talk. All rights reserved. Now, it is anybody's set. All the while, Asjia was hooked up to a heart-lung machine to keep her blood flowing while her heart was stopped so Najm could repair her valves. 1 in heart care in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals rankings. The two have three sonsMyles, 24, Shareef, 21, and Shaqir, 18and two daughtersAmirah, 19, and Me'arah, 15. "I'm gonna try my best to rally people, put it on social media, get people out," Shaunie said. The NBA legend sat down with The Pivot Podcast last week, and he dished on how he has different requirements for his sons and daughters once they reach adulthood. 2018
Shaq never talked much about his split with Shaunie until March 2022. Cassy Athena/Getty Images / SSJreef/Twitter, NOW WATCH: NBA ref explains why the James Harden step-back jumper isn't traveling, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Amirah O'Neal (Image source: Instagram - @amirahoneal) Amirah O'Neal, the daughter of NBA legend and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, has announced that she is . Terms of Service LSU Athletics, Louisiana State University, 2023. "Honestly, growing up even, you didn't go to girls' games. Shareef O'Neal had six points and four rebounds in his 10 first-half minutes during LSU's 75-55 win over Missouri. Shaquille O'Neal, aka Shaq, is a retired professional basketball player who is currently serving as a sports analyst. And she wants some of her fans to attend. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The Longhorns (25-1), who also made it to the NCAA finals in 2015 and 2016, are the No. Shaunie O'Neal was born on November 27, 1974 in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA. For more high school stories, stats and videos, visit http://usatodayhss.com. She stared at him blankly, her mouth glued shut. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images). In Newark, New Jersey on March 6, 1972, Shaquille O'Neal was born to parents Lucille O'Neal and Joseph Toney. Asjia hung up and walked in a daze to her dorm room, where her teammates and friends Jhenna Gabriel and Logan Eggleston were waiting. And she did, sticking with her team until the Longhorns lost in the NCAA regionals against Louisville on Dec. 13, when she hit .778 with seven kills and five blocks. Shaq brought all the kids out for this red carpet! Shaq's 13-Year-Old Daughter is Almost Dunking. Shaquille O'Neal's younger daughter Me'Arah O'Neal is making great progress with her basketball game. She had struggled through her first week of training, barely managing to stay on the court. This journey has made me truly grateful for the ability to play the game I love and lit a fire inside of me that yall aint seen yet. %link% Me'Arah O'Neal, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, is one of the top Though his wife Shaunie was missing, all five of their kids with him at the 'Uncle Drew' world premiere in New York on June 26, 2018. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Arnetta became Shaquille's girlfriend officially after Taahirah's birth. Source: Instagram. I found this story on USA TODAY High School Sports and wanted to share it with you: Asjia O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Southlake Carroll (Southlake TX), Texas, Girls Volleyball, NFHS Network's Weekly Top 10 Basketball Highlights, 3 Texas schools in the lead for 4-star Longview RB Taylor Tatum, Watch: Pete Carroll emphasizes vital importance of multi-sport backgrounds, https://usatodayhss.com/2016/former-prep-superstar-jermaine-oneals-daughter-asjia-commits-to-texas-volleyball, Former prep superstar Jermaine O'Neal's daughter Asjia commits to Texas volleyball. O'Neal's right foot had landed on the Sooners' side of the net as she nudged the ball over. She was the definition of athletic, but she had such grace, such fluidity about her. She has a leaky valve that's making her heart work too hard. * Cal-Hi Sports Division IV All-State Team Shareef, Amirah's brother, is the second oldest of all the O'Neal kids and was the first to play college basketball. CSUN's Merren, East Bay's Smith win CalHOPE, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Tennessee coach Vitello to return after suspension, No. Shareef O'Neal, Me'arah's older brother, originally posted the video on Twitter with the caption, "So my 13 year old sister is a cheat code.". Monique holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Media Studies from Goucher College. The doctors there came to a consensus -- she could play out the 2019 season, but she would have to go in for cardiology appointments every three months in Austin, and the results had to be shared with her doctors at Cleveland Clinic. She knew of Texas' success and she wanted to be a part of it. He was the McDonald's All-American Game MVP after his prep career in San Antonio, Texas. [I'll] guide them in the right path," the former player said. Sign up for notifications from Insider! She could push herself to run 30 minutes on the treadmill, something she couldn't dream of doing before surgery. I just know how to do it, it just happens,'" Mesha said. The oldest of seven children, Harrison explained the violence by saying his Jamaican father beat him . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Their younger sister, MeArah, is also getting Divison I offers, but has not yet committed anywhere. Asjia needed to get to Cleveland as soon as possible for an MRI. Grammy-award winning rapper and Houston native Megan Thee Stallion is also a TSU student and intends to join the list of alumni soon, after she recently confirmed her anticipated fall graduation. "There's been some changes," he began. "They would always try to make me cough things up, but it would hurt so bad to cough because obviously my chest is broken," O'Neal said. That better-than-ever heart would help shape a more powerful athlete than ever before, one that will give Texas another shot at an elusive third NCAA volleyball championship this month. Monique Welch was an engagement reporter for the Houston Chronicle. ", "I felt that I had produced a good piece of art that is going to last long," he said. Teaching them . Shaquille O'Neal's daughter has now received two scholarship offers from Division I programs. Publish date: Aug 10, 2021 6:37 PM EDT. In terms of height O'Neal is a . He took Asjia with him to most every game, and by the time she walked and talked, she was on TV, in her father's arms, celebrating his career with him. "We're going to get a second opinion," Mesha said forcefully into the phone. His tenure in the NBA stretched for nearly 20 years. (@mearahoneal_). She was on Southlake Carrolls varsity as a freshman but Southlake coach Ryan Mitchell has brought ONeal along slowly due to the impact overwhelming expectations coming too quickly and after ONeal had to undergo surgery to repair a heart valve as a 13-year-old. The next day, she went up on stage and won the title, spelling the word "vegetable" for the championship. Basketball aside, Asjia was like her father in most every way. NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? Amirah is a 6-foot, 1-inch forward who averaged 17.2 points per game as a junior in high school, according to LSUs website. "But I thought this might just be the reality of me playing sports. She had a lot to learn -- volleyball's rules were "weird" -- but she loved the intensity, the ability to work closely with her teammates when the ball was in the air and the speed of the game. Played in all 29 matches and all 100 of 102 sets during the 2020 seasonfinished second in the Big 12 Conference with a .411 hitting percentage and was sixth in the league with 1.13 blocks per setranked third on the team with 222 total kills and second with 113 total blockshad a season-high 14 kills in the win at Kansas State (10/16)had a dominant performance in the NCAA Second Round match against Wright State (4/15) with a season-high nine total blocksfinished with double-digit kills in three of the five NCAA Tournament matches, including 13 in the win over Penn State (4/18). The former Ozen High star and 14-year NBA vet has more on his mind than basketball, offering essays on life, his family and America. "She can get pretty feisty, and she can get pretty competitive -- and we need that.". In 2002, the former NBA player married Shaunie O'Neal, a reality television star, but later divorced. "She has the ability to change [the team's] personality, maybe more than anybody on our team," Elliott said. ON A SUNNY November day in Austin, O'Neal, wearing a burnt orange Texas long-sleeve shirt, bandana and black sweats, is seated at an outdoor table at Civil Goat Coffee, one of her favorite cafes. Highlights of the 6-foot-4 LA's Finest star show that she's already an unstoppable force like her dad. RELATED: See LeBron James' 16-Year-Old Son, Who's Already a Basketball Star. Me'arah is still too young to commit to play in college, but given her height, her basketball genes, and her ability to dominate the post and drain shots from range, there's little doubt she'll have offers rolling in soon. 1 overall? Southlake Carroll junior Asjia O'Neal spikes the ball during a match on September 20, 2016. At 15, when she saw Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott at several of her matches, her excitement grew. "Regardless of my accomplishments on the court, I think just having that imagery for young girls is incredible.". She had a congenital heart condition, but she didn't want to use it as an excuse, so she pushed herself, sometimes to the brink, before Koehler noticed her struggling and made her leave the court. He finished with a season-high seven rebounds and season-high nine points on 4-of . While they're no longer a couple, they still share five children. Up until that morning, O'Neal felt in control. Amirah's little sister, Me'arah (left) is a rising sophomore at Crossroads School, where she plays basketball. When O'Neal was in infancy, his father, Toney, who was an addict was convicted and sent to . The doctors operated on Asjia for five hours, stopping the leak and then closing her chest. Asjia's mother, Mesha, sitting in the bleachers behind the Oklahoma side of the court, says, "She looks upset." Me'arah, who is the youngest of Shaq's five children, plays for LA's Finest, according to Rivals.com. Dr. Najm replaced it with the "biggest ring" he's ever "put on a woman before," Mesha remembered Najm saying. "The documentary series chronicles Shaq's ascent to superstardom, as a dominant force who won four NBA championships, league MVP honors, and changed the game." "It also encompasses his life off the court, from his upbringing in a military family to his deepest personal . She brought 152 kills and 95 blocks into this year's NCAA tournament, and Elliott said the Longhorns will need her in order to end the title drought that dates to 2012. I love your team. She needed to have another open-heart surgery. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball . I'm positive everything will go well. The Los Angeles native was a 2019 . "At 22, she is more equipped, she can use her voice to make this world a better place. *Terms apply. "I'm proud of the moment and just coming back from it -- so now, I'll wear whatever. Brand Guidelines And for more entertainment and celebrity news sent to you directly, sign up for our daily newsletter. 2 recruit named to the USA Junior Nationals All-Tournament Team for three consecutive years (2015, 16, 17) 2017 USA Open National Champion 2016 7-6A MVP of Southlake Carroll High School . In silence, she stood up and walked with Koehler to the car. "Athletes, when they are exercising, they convert their cardiac output -- as we call it -- or circulation, they multiply that by at least five times, sometimes more. 2021: VolleyballMag.com Fourth Team All-AmericanAVCA All-Southwest RegionFirst Team All-Big 12First Team Academic All-Big 12Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 26)
The next point, O'Neal gets a kill on an Oklahoma over-pass. "Seeing little girls come up to me and they're not just of one background, not just white girls, and they're like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so inspired to be you. The weekend before Texas took on Oklahoma, the O'Neals were in Waco to watch Asjia play Baylor. And that would lead to another open-heart surgery and an agonizing rehabilitation. As she went under, O'Neal remembered hearing "Started from the Bottom," a song her nurses picked for her when she told them she loved Drake. Took a red shirt in her freshman season. A 12-year-old growing up in Southern California, she was born into basketball royalty and is now starting to showcase that n Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu who had a close relationship with Kobe and Gigi Bryant made NCAA history hours after eulogizing her mentor and mentee, Here's why James Harden's controversial Euro step that everyone is calling a travel was actually completely legal, President of US Soccer once admitted USWNT had 'not been treated equally' despite arguing for dismissal of their gender discrimination lawsuit, Kobe Bryant fans looking to pay their respects to the NBA legend are visiting the wrong grave. That day, she tried out and made the school's B team (the school had an A, B and C team). All rights Reserved. A video surfaced online Tuesday night of O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah O'Neal, dunking on a regulation 10-foot hoop in what appears to be a home gym. Played in 28 matches during the 2021 seasonfinished second on the team with 114 total blocks and led the Longhorns with 16 solo blockssecond on the team with a .383 hitting percentage and was third with 266 pointsfinished with 170 kills, the fifth-most on the teamthird on the team with 31 service acestied career high with nine blocks in back-to-back matches at Iowa State (10/21-22). Unsurprisingly, a few of Shaq's kids are following in his footsteps by succeeding on the court. In addition to Shaq's former wife of 9 years, Shaunie O'Neal, the basketball legend has been linked to countless women. His official bio notes that he only played 10 games during the 2020-2021 season because of a fracture in his foot. Shaquille O'Neal's annual Super Bowl party, 'Shaq's Fun House,' reflects its host fun, welcoming and engaging. "She's the biggest hype man on the court -- you can see every emotion on her face," Eggleston said. She asked him to train her during the summer after fourth grade, but something didn't feel right. As Jermaine sat in the bleachers, he scanned the crowd -- posters carrying Asjia's face and her jersey number peppered the stands. Instead of opening up her heart to replace the valve with a prosthetic one, as would be the norm with cases like hers, Najm re-repaired her mitral valve, removing fibrous tissues around the valve before placing the bigger ring. It would have been impossible to know then, but that bleak hospital visit actually would be cause for chocolate cake. * Attended Crossroads for three years before being homeschooled in 2019-20. In her free time, Amirah also enjoys cooking, drawing, and painting. FILE: Amirah "Mimi" O'Neal, pictured third from left in 2018, the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal and VH1's Basketball Wives' star and executive producer, Shaunie O' Neal, has committed to play basketball at Texas Southern University, according to an Instagram post. Next up is Rice (20-6) on Friday. Their . Jermaine had set up a home gym, and she liked training on her own timeline. She also earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors once and was named a Freshman All-American by VolleyballMag.com. Doctors told Asjia O'Neal it was too dangerous to play volleyball. After two heart surgeries, Texas volleyball star finds her power and voice, Previewing the 2023 college baseball season: Teams and players to watch, key storylines. "I want them to have most of those goals, and once they get 18 on and they become little mini-adults, I'm not going to be the dad that says, 'Do this, do that.' She receives messages from Black mothers on social media talking about how their kids want to play volleyball after watching her on the court. When O'Neal awoke, the clock in front of her bed read 10 p.m., and her throat was on fire. "Like it was just -- it was crazy.". Child's father is her now ex-husband, Shaquille O . On the first day after the operation, she couldn't sit up, couldn't engage her core in any way, and her parents had to sit her up. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Shortly after she was cleared to return to the gym, the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports. * Three-time All-Gold Coast League selection PERSONAL. * O the places I will go Dubai. It was on that last day of spring training that O'Neal's doctor told her that she shouldn't play volleyball anymore. "My daughter has a chance to be one of the best volleyball players in the country," Jermaine O'Neal told the Boston Herald at the time. Then she wants to play professionally overseas. At age 14, she received her first college letter, from LSU. Growing up, she loved watching her father, a six-time All-Star, play basketball. Shaunie O'Neal - (1998 - 2009) Shaunie O'Neal serving Monday goals. Joseph Hoyt, Staff Writer. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I'm going to show [my scars], I don't care," O'Neal said. She has decided to take the season off. Her mitral valve leak had worsened, and to add to that, they found a second leak in her tricuspid valve. Values are based on current season type (i.e. Shaquille O'Neal Expressed Displeasure Towards Michael B Jordan to 'Aunt' Nischelle Turner . In March 2013, two months after the unsettling diagnosis, Asjia landed in Boston at the Children's Hospital for her first open-heart surgery. Shaquille O'Neal has six children, five biological children and one stepchild. Southlake (Texas) Carroll sophomore volleyball star Asjia ONeal has committed to Texas for the Class of 2018. ONeal redshirted her first year in Austin but made her Longhrons debut this past season, finishing her freshman year by playing in 26 matches. FILE: Amirah "Mimi" O'Neal, pictured third from left in 2018, the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal and VH1's Basketball Wives' star and executive producer, Shaunie O . ", When Jermaine told her that they'd have to fly to Cleveland, Asjia's first reaction was, "Wait, am I going to miss my next game?". The news sent Jermaine and Mesha into a spiral, but Asjia had a much more direct approach. Holding her mother's hands tight, she remembered how this hurt after her first surgery, and the tubes were bigger this time. Just as she began to feel like this might be her sport, she received some shocking news during a cardiology appointment in Boston: Her mitral valve leak had gotten worse in the past year. "She's not going to give up," Shaunie explained. " Shaquille O'Neal's sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, died of cancer Thursday at 40, and the TNT 'Inside the NBA' crew delivered a touching tribute. The four-time NBA champion went on to reveal the standards his kids must uphold if they want a piece of the O'Neal money pie. Shaq to his kids: "We ain't rich, I'm rich.". He also stopped the leak in her tricuspid valve. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. * Why LSU? That was unacceptable. Shaquille O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah, can dunk. You're going to get full 100%.". Shaunie was Shaq O'Neal's wife. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. ON A SPRING afternoon in Austin, Texas, Asjia O'Neal nonchalantly walked into the Heart Hospital of Austin for her cardiology appointment, a twice-a-year routine she had been keeping most of her life. "But because she wanted to play sports, she needed it. She joins a team, led by former WNBA Houston Comets star Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, that finished 20-10 in its 2019-20 season and was headed to the SWAC Championship as the No. The teen notes in her profile that LSU was one of her top choices partly because her dad played there from 1989 to 1992. She had an intuition on the court that amazed coaches. Shaquille O'Neal, commonly known as just Shaq, 49, . "And I'm like, 'Well, then why do I feel like this?'". Shaquille O'Neal returned to LSU on Saturday, but it wasn't for him. Hook Em! pic.twitter.com/qZyGv1ESgr, Asjia O'Neal (@asjiaoneal) April 27, 2016. In 2002, two years after Asjia was born, O'Neal was named the league's most improved player, charming fans with his outgoing personality and tantalizing promise with the Indiana Pacers. Practice lasted four hours, and at least once a week she couldn't get through it, sometimes feeling so dizzy that she had to be pulled off the court. For six weeks after her surgery, she was home in Dallas, slowly building up her strength. She pulls up her shirt and points to three healed holes spaced equidistant below her chest. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. "Obviously they come from that bloodline and what (Shaq) was able to accomplish in basketball, we expect you have a great knowledge and understanding of how to play the game of basketball.". She would need six weeks of rest before she could be cleared to play. Shaquille O' Neal was born on 6 March 1972 in Newark, New Jersey, in the United States to Lucille O'Neal and Joe Toney. However, it was known that they were romantically involved in the '90s and welcomed their first daughter Taahirah O'Neal in 1996. "I've always said, 'How do you [know]?' "She's a master," said Ping Cao, Asjia's club coach. * Likes to drawing, painting and cooking. Shaq's relationship with his ex-wife Shaunie started in 1997 and ended up after nine years of their marriage. She was previously a walk-on at her fathers alma mater Louisiana State University, but is now the second family member to bring their talents to Houston after her younger brother, Shaqir, announced in May that he was joining TSUs mens basketball program. Catching her breath, Asjia narrated how a routine checkup turned into a nightmare. Me'arah O'Neal 6'4 2024 is so special @MeArahONeall . During O'Neal's infanthood, his father Toney got arrested for drug possession and once went to federal prison for forging checks. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Shaquille O'Neal keeps it old school when it comes to his children turning 18 years old, and his daughters have a considerable advantage over his sons!. I literally just told her this yesterday, I said, 'Asjia, you're special, because you're much bigger than just a volleyball player.'". 10,768 talking about this. Jermaine, who had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in 2013, called every doctor he knew in the NBA to get his daughter the best treatment he could. The third day, she could walk farther. By WFAA | Shaquille O'Neal's daughter is a pretty big basketball prospect in her own right. Powered by BizBudding, Shaquille ONeals Children: Meet All Of Shaqs Kids. At 13, she needed open-heart surgery. Amirah has committed to LSU with her elder brother Shareef O'Neal on April 16 of 2020. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. "This is it? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". She does that at such a high level, she blows me away. The No. Me'arah O'Neal has so much of Shaquille O'Neal in her. Now, she's somewhere in the high 90s. Played in 26 matches and 93 sets put down 125 kills, at 1.34 per set and hit .365 on the season She added 93 (7/86) blocks on the year with 35 digs and 22 aces put down a career-best nine kills, hitting .500 and adding four blocks against Rice (9/18) post an 8-0-8, 1.000 hitting line against West Virginia with seven blocks, two aces and two digs (10/19) recorded a career-best eight blocks against Kansas (11/23). It does not store any personal data. He also is a father to . ", About five hours later he walked out of surgery and said, "It's a success. We got to spend a day with Shaqir O'Neal at his insane Atlanta mansion where we also got a few surprises from Shaq himself! In Asjia's case, Najm made an unusual decision. She's majoring in Agricultural Business and plans to start her own business after graduating. She doesn't care what the score is. Shaquille was said to be very thrilled to have his first child in the 1997 Sports Illustrated interview. It was for his daughter. (O'Neal has a daughter with Arnetta Yardbourgh. "She probably would not have had to have it if she did not play sports," Mesha said. . As she waited on the exam table for her doctor, she made small talk with the Texas volleyball team's physical trainer, DeAnn Koehler, who had driven her to the hospital. Award-winning gospel singer and songwriter Yolanda Adams, television personality and former NFL player Michael Strahan, and U.S. Rep. Al Green all call the HBCU their alma mater. Nothing's going to happen to me. Shaquille O'Neal said on his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq," that he was a "serial cheater" and the affairs cost him valuable time with his kids. Shaquille O'Neal's Ex-Wife- Meet Shaunie O'Neal. Shaquille O'Neal Childhood Photo.