Carrying a Hall of Famer’s last name may turn heads, but it won’t silence hecklers or guarantee success. Just ask Shaqir O’Neal. The youngest son of Shaquille O’Neal has been grinding his way through college basketball, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to challenges, especially when facing passionate crowds. And recently, he got a firsthand taste of that during a matchup against Jackson State Tigers a few days back.
A recent viral Instagram clip shows Shaqir engaging in a back-and-forth with a courtside fan. “One thing I love about the SWAC is the endless amount of trash-talking between the players and fans. You gotta have some tough skin to compete…especially when your dad is one of the greats of the game! As JSU started to seal the win, some fans gave Shaqir O’Neal a lil heat and he didn’t back down,” read the caption.
Understandably, Shaqir didn’t tolerate the disrespect. At 21, he has already embarked on a unique college journey, having played for two different HBCUs. In July 2024, he made the move from Texas Southern University to Florida A&M University (FAMU), looking for more playing time and a better shot at development. During his tenure at Texas Southern, he averaged 1.4 points per game across 20 appearances in the 2022-2023 season.
The switch paid off. In the 2024-2025 season, Shaqir elevated his game, notching his first collegiate double-double on February 17, 2025, against Alcorn State. He dropped 12 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots, helping FAMU secure an 85-76 win.
This season, he’s averaging a respectable 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Not exactly star-level, but his efficiency stands out—knocking down 51.4 percent of his shots. Still, a solid stat line won’t stop fans from testing him. If anything, Shaqir needs more than numbers to win these battles. He needs a thick skin. However, it’s not as if this was his first experience of trash talk. In fact, he has had it from one of the best: his own father.
The time Shaqir O’Neal faced trash talk from his father Shaquille O’Neal
The popular web series Life of Shaq gave fans plenty of entertaining moments, and the fourth episode of the second season was no different. In the episode, we got a glimpse of Shaq spending time with his family, and let’s just say, the Hall of Famer couldn’t resist reminding everyone of his greatness.
One of the standout moments of the episode came when Shaq hit the court with his son Shaqir O’Neal. As they played, Big Diesel couldn’t help but boast about his legendary career, making sure his son knew exactly who he was up against.
Earlier in the episode, Shaqir had shared his reason for wanting to stay with his father in Atlanta — because who better to learn from than a four-time NBA champion? He believed Shaq’s experience could take his game to the next level.
NY: 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards Shaqir O Neal and Shaquille O Neal walking the red carpet at the 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards held at Jazz at Lincoln Center s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York, NY on May 22, 2023. New York Jazz at Lincoln Center s Frederi NY USA NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xSipaxUSAx Editorial use only sipausa_46441566
But when father and son finally got into the game, things took a hilarious turn. Shaq, despite all his accolades, struggled to find the net, missing multiple shots. And of course, his son wasn’t going to let him live it down.
When he called him out for shooting an airball, Shaq did what he does best—fire back with some classic trash talk. “I’m a Hall of Famer, you are not. I got four rings, you ain’t got four rings, so it doesn’t matter.” Ouch! Nothing harder than the Jackson State Tigers fan could’ve dropped on Shaqir than what Shaq did. No wonder the 21-year-old was unfazed by the fan trash talk.
The post Shaquille O’Neal’s Son in Potential Trouble as 21YO Shaqir Throws Father’s Golden Rule Away appeared first on EssentiallySports.
