Shaquille O'Neal Threatens To Punch RGIII In The Face For Disrespecting Angel Reese: 'I Hate You Now'

Angel Reese doesn't need to worry about defending herself against her haters; it appears her mentor, Shaquille O'Neal, has that covered.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the situation, a week ago, former NFL player RGIII posted a photo on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, of Chicago Sky star Reese depicted as a monkey.

In his post, the former Washington Commanders player condemned the racism directed toward Reese, while also seemingly criticizing the 23-year-old for her spirited rivalry with Caitlin Clark.

He didn't stop there, though. RGIII, who hosts the "Outta Pocket" podcast, also posted that people in Reese's inner circle have contacted him and allegedly confirmed that she "hates" Clark, star of the Indiana Fever.

The backlash to RGIII's post was swift and fierce, with one commenter calling the retired athlete an "even bigger loser than I thought."

Someone else also blasted the father of four, calling him a "disgusting liar" who is "desperate for attention."

But the fans weren't the only ones with something to say. During Shaq's appearance on the "Off the Record" podcast, the LSU alum had a pointed comment for RGIII, which has left Reese fans with a bit of hope.

See the video above. Shaq wasted no time taking aim at RGIII, saying, "Tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese and I'm gonna punch you in your f-cking face."

He continued, "It's enough. I don't usually do stuff like this, but stop it, bro. You got your job, you got your podcast. Leave my Angel Reese alone. I'm the one calling her and telling her not to respond. F-cking stop it. That's the last time."

But that wasn't all the NBA Hall of Famer had to say. He later defended Reese and Clark's tense on-court dynamic, adding, "It's not real hate."

"If you look around at what's going on in this real country, that's hate," he continued, adding, "This is sports; I'm not supposed to like you."

"Leave [Angel Reese] alone. You already spoke on it. Let it go. So what? [She] hates her. So f-cking what? I hate you now for messing with her. Now what? Say something about me," he continued.

"[Angel] is not soft, by any means," he explained. "She's from the streets. But I'm like, 'You're beautiful, don't indulge with these fools.' Because he's a fool."

On social media, Reese fans expressed their appreciation to Shaq for defending the WNBA star amid the unprecedented amount of online hate she receives.

"Violence is sometimes the answer," someone wrote, to which another said, "I know that's right! We love a Black man protecting a Black woman."

Someone else wrote, "And if you think Shaq is playing, better check those old NBA games."

They added, "Several celebrities have been pressed by Shaq ... So watch RGIII come back real humble because you gotta go outside."

Another user shared a similar message, writing, "These are sad times. It takes an OG to come out and threaten these washed male athletes turned podcasters to stop picking fights among women athletes."

Shaq wasn't the only one to call RGIII out for his post. Almost immediately after it went live, Reese fired back indirectly, accusing him of "lying."

"Lying on this app when everybody know the first and last name of everybody in my circle for clout is nastyyyy work," she wrote.

And she wasn't the only Reese with something to say. Her mother, also named Angel Reese, jumped into the chat and told RGIII to "stop with the [cap]."

"My daughter's 'circle' is so small & tight so I'd be interested 2 know who called U ... Whomever U say 'called' U is not in her circle 2 speak on her feelings towards a media/fandom made up beef. Just stay on that side bc the doors are closed over here," she wrote.

Since then, RGIII hasn't addressed the controversy publicly, and after Shaq's latest warning, it's unclear whether he ever will.