Shaquille O’Neal Breaks Silence on Angel Reese, Exposing Hidden Motive Behind Controversial Comment

We thought Shaquille O'Neal was unusually silent after his appearance on Unapologetically Angel. His appearance on Angel Reese's podcast didn't go the way everyone thought. Instead of their usual unc-niece dynamic, Shaq's comments left a bad taste in everyone's mouths. His comments are still getting debated on social media a month since he was on the show. Shaq never addressed it and let it blow up. Turns out, it was intentional all along.

On The Big Podcast, he debated celebrity reactions to invasive paparazzi with Iman Shumpert. Shaq boasted that he doesn't give into those provocations. O'Neal gives two primary reasons for it – He doesn't want to upset his mom and because, "everything I do is planned."

Interestingly, the example he gives to prove his point is the debacle with Angel Reese. It's the first time he talks about it. "For example, the Angel stuff. Y'all don't think that was done purposely?" The question is why would Shaq say that stuff purposely?

"It was because I know everything I said, you dummies was going to click. We was going to go viral and The Big Podcast Network was going to do what we do to be number 1." And he addressed the people who reacted the way he predicted with, "Thank you very much 'dummies.com.' Everything I do is planned."

Shaq essentially claims he made some scandalous comments for marketing. The more it escalated, the more Unapologetically Angel under The Big Podcast Network umbrella got traction. And he seems unbothered by the backlash.

Shaq became a hot button topic When The Big Podcast Network announced Angel Reese's podcast, fans were anticipating her mentor/father figure/unc, Shaquille O'Neal on the show. Instead of the expected wholesome interaction we've seen from Shaq and Angel before, it went a very different way.

He suggested the WNBA's viewership would go up wif Reese wore an outfit similar to her viral fashion at Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Our show in Chicago and did more dunks, "You know how many T-shirts you gonna sell, you trippin'," he said among some other explicit statements. Fans felt that Reese looked uncomfortable with those comments though she downplayed it.

Several soundbites of O'Neal talking about relationships and women spilled onto social media. The 52-year-old was slammed ruthlessly for making those remarks, especially to someone he calls a daughter. Some even claimed he needs to apologise to Reese.

So for him to not only address it via his podcast, but also claim it was intentional for publicity is wild. He played everyone like a fiddle. And yet it's not clear if he really meant all those controversial opinions or not.