Shaquille O’Neal has had it with Robert Griffin III.
The NBA Hall of Fame center emphatically called out the former quarterback turned media personality, telling him to stop posting commentary about WNBA star Angel Reese — and he made it quite clear what might happen if he didn’t. O’Neal went so far as to say he would punch Griffin in the “f—ing face.”
Reese has become one of the most polarizing athletes in sports, and her rivalry with Caitlin Clark has turned into a toxic national conversation. Griffin has regularly posted about the dynamic between Reese and Clark, second-year WNBA players whose rivalry stretches back to college, with language that often seems intent on stoking the divide.
But what set O’Neal off this time was Griffin deciding to repost a racist edit of Reese’s NBA 2K26 cover, which drew backlash for amplifying the post even as he insisted he was calling out the racism. That drew a response from O’Neal, who is a mentor of Reese dating back to her time LSU, their shared alma mater, and the Hall of Famer didn’t mince words on the Off The Record podcast when telling Griffin to stop with his posts about Reese.
“RGIII, tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese and I’m gonna punch you in your f—ing face. K. It’s enough. Like, I don’t usually do stuff like this but stop it, bro,” Shaq said. “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—ing stop it. That’s the last time. K. Thank you.
“That’s not real hate,” Shaq continued about Reese and Clark. “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 all the stuff you did in your life, you’re gonna be remembered for your podcast. That should tell you you’re not that f—ing great. I don’t want to be remembered for Shaq’s big podcast. I do not. Like leave those girls alone. You already spoke on it. Let it go. So what? He hates her. So f—ing what? I hate you now for messing with her. Now what? Say something about me.
“She’s not gonna respond cause I’m the one calling and telling her, ‘Baby, keep it classy.’ Cause she’s not soft, by any means, she’s from the streets. But I’m like, you’re beautiful, don’t indulge with these fools. Cause he’s a fool. You don’t even have G14 classification to say that. I would respect it more if Lisa Leslie said it. Like, that’s y’all category. Stay out of them people’s category. Like I don’t mind you doing your job, but don’t pick on that little girl. Cause guess what? I’m her protector. Now pick on me. You pick on me, I’m gonna punch you in your f—ing face.”
Both Reese and Clark insist that any animosity between the two ends once they step off the court, but people can’t let go of the idea that they hate each other. Griffin has been among the most prominent figures pushing that narrative.
Personally, if I found myself in a position where Shaq was threatening to punch me in the face if I continue doing something, I would simply stop doing that thing. We’ll see if RGIII heeds this warning from O’Neal.
