Shaquille O'Neal threatens to punch NFL analyst over Angel Reese criticism
Griffin made headlines earlier this month when he waded into debate over Chicago Sky star Reese being selected as a NBA 2K26 cover star.
However, in doing so, he also brought attention to one social media user editing the cover to feature a monkey in place of Reese - while also doubling down on a claim that the Sky star 'hates' WNBA rival Caitlin Clark.
Reese swiftly fired back at Griffin with a subtle post on X aimed at the NFL-star-turned-analyst. Griffin then doubled down on his claims, once more.
Now, NBA legend O'Neal has joined the debate and threatened to 'punch' Griffin he makes further comments on the WNBA star.
On the ' Off the Record' podcast, O'Neal said: 'RG3? Tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese and I'm going to punch you in your f***ing face'.
Shaq speaks out on Angel Reese drama with RGIII‼️
Full episode out now: https://t.co/Mo0qYWNvn7 #shaq #shaquilleoneal #angelreese #rgiii #wnba pic.twitter.com/f41pdwtZyb
— Bailey Jackson (@baileyjsports) July 15, 2025
'I don't usually do stuff like this but just stop it, bro. You've got your job, you've got your podcast... leave my Angel Reese alone.
'I'm the one calling her and telling her not to respond. F***ing stop it. That's the last time. Okay? Thank you'.
'It's not real hate. If you look around at what's going on in this real country, that's hate. This is sports. I'm not supposed to like you!
'It's a shame that [for] all the stuff that you did in your life, you're going to be remembered for a podcast. That should tell you that you're not that f***ing great.
'Leave those girls alone, you already spoke on it. Let it go. Don't pick on that little girl. Because guess what? I'm her protector. Now pick on me. And if you pick on me, I'm going to punch you in your f***ing face'.
The confusing saga began when Griffin attempted to defend Reese online after she was criticized for being chosen for the cover of a new video game, NBA 2K26.
One racist post from an unidentified X user photoshopped the cover to make Reese, who is African American, appear as a monkey.
But in his misguided effort to stick up for Reese, Griffin claimed to know her on-court beef with Clark wasn't just in the minds of media and fans, adding that the Sky star's inner circle had confirmed this to him.
The former NFL star refused to let the issue rest, maintaining he was telling the truth
Reese wasn't buying it and accused Griffin of 'lying on this app… for clout'.
'… Everybody know the first and last name of everybody in my circle,' Reese said, apparently insisting Griffin wasn't communicating with anyone close to her.
Ultimately she called Griffin's post 'nastyyy work.'
Griffin defended himself online after Reese and Clark's comments Wednesday morning.
'Alright. This has got to stop,' Griffin wrote on X. 'There is no place for racism in this world. Whether you like a player or not. Angel Reese should never be called or depicted as a Monkey,' he wrote in a post to X referencing the vile reaction to Reese's cover.
'I have been quiet on the Angel Reese front because she shared a video that aided in my wife, kids, family and friends receiving death threats, threats of physical harm to my family and friends and threats of sexual violence to my children on social media and beyond.
'That will never be okay with me. I never attacked her or her family when I stated and backed up with clear basketball evidence that Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark. It's sports. Everybody won't like each other.'
Griffin refused to let the issue rest in a later post.
'I spoke up in support of Angel Reese against racism not to start drama,' he later shared.
'But I won't let anyone twist the truth just because it's inconvenient to them. Instead of trying to check me, just tighten up your circle.
'They calling me and saying you hate Caitlin Clark, not the other way around.
'I have zero interest in being the villain in anyone's story. I just want to have fun, tell the truth and celebrate sports. But I won't pretend or lie just to protect feelings.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump's son claims Chelsea stars asked him to join Club World Cup celebrations before awkward moment
Eric Trump has claimed that Chelsea invited Donald Trump on stage for their Club World Cup celebrations - and recognized it as 'the greatest honor of their life'. Earlier this month, the US President watched on as Chelsea secured a surprise 3-0 win against PSG, with Cole Palmer scoring a brace at the MetLife Stadium. Afterwards, Trump was on stage - handing medals to the players - before passing over the Club World Cup trophy and remained on stage as the side lifted the title. Many fans were left bemused by the incident and that confusion also stretched to some of the Chelsea stars - who seemed unaware that Trump would be on stage. However, now, Trump's second-eldest son Eric has lifted the lid on the situation and asserted that the US President was invited by the team to join the festivities. Speaking to BBC Sport, Eric said: 'Listen, he's the Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America. 'The winning team invited him to the stage because they said it would be the greatest honor of their life if the president of the United States could present the Club World Cup trophy. 'And by the way, I was there, I was watching it. The place went crazy. And there's no one that's done more for sport than him'. Despite claiming that Chelsea were aware that Trump would be on stage for the trophy lift, the bemused faces of some of their players in the moment said otherwise. Notably, England star Cole Palmer was left bewildered by Trump's on-stage presence and appeared to utter: 'What's he doing?' The England soccer star later spoke out on his confusion, confirming the president's celebration participation was entirely unplanned. 'I knew he was going to be here but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy so I was a bit confused, yeah,' he said. Trump had earlier presented Palmer with the golden ball award with the 23-year-old midfielder looking as equally baffled during that presentation. Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella admitted he was 'scared s***less' by Trump when the US president joined their Club World Cup lift. Cucurella told Spanish press: 'We had been told that, as a rule, Donald Trump would come to present us with the trophy and that we couldn't lift it until he left. 'And of course, we were all there waiting for him to leave, but the guy didn't want to leave, and on top of that, we looked at him and he said, 'Get him up, I'll stay here, and so on.' 'And I wondered who would say anything to him, you know... I was scared s***less!' Trump and wife Melania had touched down around 35 minutes before kickoff at the MetLife Stadium at the nearby Teterboro Airport on the presidential Marine One helicopter. After being spotted touching down near MetLife, Trump surfaced inside the stadium loud cheers could be heard from the 80,000 in attendance.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Amy Bradley's brother calls the internet ‘toxic' amidst criticism from Netflix documentary
Brad Bradley, whose sister Amy Bradley went missing from a cruise in 1998, has defended his family against allegations of homophobia following a new Netflix documentary. The three-part docuseries, Amy Bradley is Missing, details her unsolved disappearance and explores her bisexuality, along with her parents' initial struggles with acceptance. Brad refuted online claims portraying his family as 'Trump-supporting, racist homophobes', describing the internet as a 'toxic place'. He clarified that Amy was bisexual and dating a man when she disappeared, a detail he believes was omitted from the Netflix series. Brad emphasized that his parents had overcome their initial difficulties with Amy's sexuality before she went missing, with her girlfriend even spending time with the family.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump Jr's AI photo of his dad in denim is mocked online
Donald Trump Jr shared an AI-generated image of his father, Donald Trump, dressed in double denim on Instagram. The post, which included a Zoolander reference, was made amidst a controversy surrounding actor Sydney Sweeney 's American Eagle advertising campaign. Sweeney's campaign, featuring the phrase 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' faced criticism, with some accusing it of promoting 'white nationalism' and 'eugenic fantasies.' The backlash against the American Eagle ad prompted a defense from conservatives, including White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, who called it 'cancel culture run amok.' Trump Jr's Instagram post received thousands of negative comments, with many users mocking the image and his father.
