As it turns out, you can still bet on Shaquille O’Neal. WNBA star Angel Reese learned this the hard way during a recent meetup between the two.
In a video posted to her Instagram Stories and later uploaded to social media on Wednesday, the WNBA rookie, 22, bet the former Orlando Magic star, 52, $100,000 to make a shot from the free throw line, which he promptly did to cheers from Reese and others gathered.
“I guess I owe him 100K 😭,” she wrote in text in the video.
Reese just wrapped her rookie season with the Chicago Sky. She was the seventh overall WNBA draft pick, following a breakout career for the Louisiana State University Tigers.
She became known not just for her prowess on the court but also for her personality and strength as she navigated a highly scrutinized and publicized era of women’s college basketball.
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Since Reese became a breakout star with the LSU Tigers, Shaq, a fellow LSU Tiger himself, has taken her under his wing. The two have been open about their growing mentorship relationship and how Shaq has become an “understandable ear” for Reese.
“I know things that she went through, I know what she’s going through, I know what’s about to happen to her, and I could give her advice,” he told People magazine of their dynamic.
He has also said, “She’s probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports. You heard it here first. Male or female.”
In addition to losing bets to basketball legends, Reese’s time off from basketball has included a recent trip back home to Baltimore, Md. In a post to Instagram earlier this week, the pro baller posted footage of a Baltimore Ravens game she attended that included her posing with a Ravens jersey with her last name emblazoned on the back.
“Baltimore Barbie,” she wrote in the caption, adding, “Hardly home but always reppin.”
As Sports Illustrated reported, it’s unclear whether Reese will actually have to pay up to her mentor. He did not exactly confirm the bet before he made the shot.
