Shaquille O'Neal Under Fire For 'Creepy' Comments About Angel Reese's 'Little Shorts'

Shaquille O'Neal has sparked outrage after making controversial comments about WNBA star Angel Reese's outfit during a recent appearance on her podcast.

The four-time NBA champion's comments, which focused on Reese's "little a-s shorts," have been widely condemned as inappropriate, prompting a fierce backlash from fans.

Angel Reese has previously stated that Shaquille O'Neal is like a "father figure" to her as they've managed to maintain a cordial working relationship since she went pro.

The 52-year-old basketball legend has sparked concerns from fans after seemingly uttering what some tagged to be sexist and misogynistic comments about Reese's "little a-s shorts."

According to Page Six, O'Neal made the comment during Thursday's episode of the Chicago Sky forward's "Unapologetically Angel" podcast, where he talked about how the outfit she wore to a "Wild 'N Out" event in Chicago earlier this month could help her make money.

"Imagine you in them same little a-s shorts you had on at the 'Wild 'N Out' show dunking. You know how many T-shirts you gon' sell? You trippin'," he said, referring to the blue shorts Reese wore that exposed the lower half of her buttocks.

He added, "Them same little a-s shorts you had on at 'Wild 'n Out'… I'm just saying."

Reese appeared uncomfortable with the comments and interjected, "OK, all right, all right, all right."

Fans have since taken to social media to slam the former Los Angeles Lakers star for what some called his "perverted" and "creepy" comment.

Someone wrote, "Shaq is 52 years old and has gotten a free pass for being creepy because he's an NBA legend. Angel Reese looks at Shaq like a father figure mentor type, and he's talking about her in booty shorts, lmao."

Another fan said, "Angel Reese learned a painful lesson about men through Shaq in real time, I fear."

A third user wrote, "I'm glad people are recognizing Shaq's creepy and perverted behavior. What I don't like is some people following up with, 'Well, if Angel dresses like that, what does she expect.' She can dress sexy and still not want to be sexually harassed."

One more person noted, "We keep calling it weird, but it's actually perverted & clear that Shaq is sexualizing her. The saddest part is that you can hear the disdain in Angel's voice but also her exhaling in frustration in hoping he was [a] trusted figure in her life, instead was, as always, just another man."

Meanwhile, some other netizens have argued that O'Neal didn't sexualize Reese and that he was alluding to her mode of dressing.

"Maybe she should stop flaunting her body everywhere asking for sexual attention," a person wrote. Another said, "He said dunk and it will make people tune in and Reese replied saying men won't get turned on from that and Shaq said- it's entertainment people are looking for. It's clear where her mind is at and his."

Meanwhile, Reese holds O'Neal in high regard that she considers him a "father figure" to her as they've managed to establish a working relationship since she became a force to be reckoned with.

According to the New York Post, the 22-year-old basketball star invited O'Neal to her Senior Day festivities, usually reserved for family members, back in January.

"He's super inspiring to me," she said of O'Neal. "He's so genuine, he's been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there's not a more perfect person for me to be tight with."

Reese added, "We had fun, and if I need anything, he would help me … and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn't care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person."

The basketball Hall of Famer has been instrumental in Reese's life and has seemingly filled the position of a "father figure" to her.

He reportedly advised her to leave social media while she was away from the team earlier this year, with Reese revealing that he had been guiding her.

"One thing I always remember he said is, I have the world at my (fingertips)," Reese said. "I could post right now on Instagram that I bought a million-dollar home, and people are going to believe it because that's how social media works. So when all of that was happening, he was coaching me up."

According to NYP, Reese further noted that O'Neal supported her by giving her tips on making money outside of the WNBA.

"Shaq is a businessman," she noted. "He's very smart, he's got his doctorate, a lot of people don't know that he's actually 'Dr. Shaq.' He's given me a business mindset. He talks about me owning a part of Reebok someday, he wants me to think about how the WNBA is going to be my summer job, so what else can I do (to make money) so I don't have to go play overseas if I don't want to."

Reese added, "He reminds me that I need to be dominating in the sport, but I should have a lot of other stuff. Basketball is second to me. He's helped me shape that mindset."