Shaq Mocks Angel Reese With ‘Too Small’ Gesture at LSU Game

Shaquille O’Neal playfully mocked Angel Reese with her signature “too small” hand gesture during a sideline reunion at LSU’s college football game against Alabama on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, us.marca.com reported.

The two basketball stars, both former LSU athletes, were among several prominent guests attending the game alongside actor Kevin Costner, former gymnast Livvy Dunne, and baseball pitcher Paul Skenes.

While Reese was filming O’Neal on the sidelines, she told him to say something, prompting the four-time NBA champion to put his two fingers together and hit her with the “too small” celebration, according to the New York Post.

After O’Neal taunted her, Reese is heard in the video saying, “it’s okay, it’s okay,” before jokingly forcing her camera into his face as if taking a shot at him, the New York Post reported.

When Shaq repeated the gesture, Reese appeared irritated and swatted toward him while O’Neal laughed and walked away, us.marca.com reported. Despite the reaction, the two share a longstanding friendship and mentor relationship, with O’Neal supporting Reese since her LSU days and helping bring her into the Reebok brand.

The “too small” celebration became a sensitive topic following the Atlanta Dream’s WNBA Finals defeat to the Golden State Valkyries. Reese had used the gesture to taunt Golden State players, particularly center Aminata Gueye, during Atlanta’s 97-71 victory in Game 3.

Warriors rookie sensation Yaxel Lendeborg ran onto the court to mock Reese with her own celebration, and former NBA player Festus Ezeli later displayed a shirt combining Reese’s gesture with a crying Michael Jordan meme during the Valkyries championship parade, the New York Post reported.

The sideline encounter took place just before LSU fell 31-13 to Alabama at Tiger Stadium, us.marca.com and the New York Post reported. LSU ultimately lost the football game to drop the contest on home turf.

O’Neal played for LSU from 1989 to 1992 and won National Player of the Year honors in 1991 before starting an NBA career that included stints with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat. Reese played two collegiate seasons at LSU from 2022 to 2024, winning a national championship before the Chicago Sky selected her with the No. 7 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.