Shaquille O’Neal Reacts to Robert Griffin III’s Comments About Angel Reese

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has weighed in on former NFL player Robert Griffin III’s comments regarding Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese. O’Neal appeared to be quite frustrated after Griffin defended Reese and shared a racially insensitive image that depicted her as a monkey, originally circulated in connection to a video game. In his post, Griffin mentioned that someone close to Reese had claimed she disliked player Caitlin Clark.

This contentious exchange garnered significant attention in the sports community last week, and O’Neal addressed it on his “Off Records” podcast, which aired online on Tuesday.

O’Neal expressed his discontent with Griffin’s remarks, saying, “RG3, tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese. That’s enough. I don’t usually react this way, but just stop it. You’ve done your job; now leave my Angel alone. I’ve spoken to her and advised her not to engage.” O’Neal continued, pointing out that real hatred exists in the world, while this situation seems to be more of a sporting rivalry gone too far. “It’s regrettable that this is the kind of attention you seek for your podcast,” he remarked.

He mentioned that he had been in contact with Reese, urging her not to respond to the situation. O’Neal emphasized that Griffin should focus on his own sport and not interfere with the WNBA.

As of now, Griffin hasn’t publicly replied to O’Neal’s statements. However, he did take to social media, defending Reese after the racist image first made headlines when it appeared in the NBA 2K26 game. He stated, “There is no place for racism in our world, and she should never be depicted in such a derogatory way.” Griffin shared that his family had remained quiet about Reese due to the backlash they experienced following the controversial comments about the rivalry between her and Caitlin Clark.

“I didn’t personally attack her or her family when Angel Reese expressed her dislike for Caitlin. It’s just sports. People don’t typically like each other in competitive environments,” he noted. He also mentioned that those close to Reese had communicated with him, saying that the media’s constant comparisons contributed to Reese’s growing frustration towards Clark.

Amid the ongoing dialogue, Griffin addressed the issue of race surrounding Reese and clarified, “Some tried to make this about race, but that was never my intention. I chose not to take on the role of the villain in this story.”

In response, Reese seemed to indirectly reply to Griffin’s statements in another post, indicating that his claims were inaccurate. She wrote, “Everyone knows who’s in my circle, and you’re misrepresenting my feelings.” Her mother also rebutted Griffin’s claims about communicating with anyone in their inner circle, saying it was untrue and suggested Griffin should remain on his side of the issue.

Griffin defended his position, stating he only aimed to support Reese against racism and wasn’t interested in igniting controversy. “I just want to celebrate the sport,” he added.

The initial claim by Griffin that Reese “hated” Clark sparked significant tension in May, further intensifying the spotlight on both athletes, who are set to meet in the All-Star Game.