$812,000 NIL-valued Shaqir O'Neal hypes up sister Me'Arah O'Neal on court: "Her"

Texas Southern guard Shaqir O'Neal has been hyping his sister, Florida Gators guard Me'Arah O'Neal ever since she was named a 2024 McDonald’s All-American.

The $812,000 NIL-valued Tigers guard, according to On3, recently reposted a picture of himself on his Instagram stories at his sister's game against Texas A&M, captioning it:

"Her."

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How Me'Arah O'Neal got into basketball

Being the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal might have been a big part of why Me'Arah O'Neal got into basketball, but she did not take it up till much later.

She tried to play with her older brothers, all of whom played hard in their backyard, but they refused her because she was too young and because she was a girl. That all changed when her father gave her the green flag to play with them.

Shaunie O'Neal, her mother, revealed in an interview with ESPN that, although her other children all play basketball, Me'Arah O'Neal was just a bit more special.

"When I first saw Me'Arah dribble a basketball," Shaunie Henderson said, "I actually was kind of shocked because no one taught her. She just watched her brothers. It wasn't even like she was a little girl that watched basketball on television. ... She has a God-given athletic ability that is just not normal."

Shaq explained how Me'Arah evolved into a competent basketball player while playing against her older brothers.

"During the early years, they used to push her around, and she used to get mad," Shaquille said. "And you know, for us, our vampire bloodline, when we get mad, it's over. She definitely used to get mad. And I used to get mad at the boys for, you know, pushing her around a little bit."

Shareef O'Neal, her older brother who plays for the G-League Ignite, revealed how his sister played a lot of basketball as a child.

"She just wanted to play basketball all the time," said Shareef. "We'd all play with each other and my friends, you know, some of my friends that are in the NBA now. She'd rather play with us than play with her friends. Even from when she was single digits, she always wanted to play with the boys — the older boys."

With all the big expectations on her shoulders, Me'Arah O'Neal revealed how she deals with the pressure.

"My dad always tells me that pressure makes diamonds," Me'Arah said. "I always try to keep that with me, especially in those moments where everyone is watching. I'm just trying to do me and make myself proud."

After being named a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, it seems like playing against her brothers has all worked out for the better for Me'Arah O'Neal.