According to her official university profile, she scored an average of 17.2 points a game during her junior year of high school at the Crossroads School for the Arts&Sciences. As her future began to take shape, Asjia thought her medical issues were in the past. At her peak, she could run 10 minutes before she started to feel light-headed. She stared at him blankly, her mouth glued shut. And she did, sticking with her team until the Longhorns lost in the NCAA regionals against Louisville on Dec. 13, when she hit .778 with seven kills and five blocks. Me'Arah O'Neal, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, is considered one of the top players in her class. Doctors told Asjia O'Neal it was too dangerous to play volleyball. By clicking submit, you agree to receive emails from Rolling Out and accept our web terms of use and privacy and cookie policy. Monique Welch was an engagement reporter for the Houston Chronicle. Shaquille O'Neal's daughter has now received two scholarship offers from Division I programs. Unsurprisingly, a few of Shaq's kids are following in his footsteps by succeeding on the court. The sister of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, died from cancer Thursday at age 40. I have done this before, and this too shall pass, she kept telling herself. We wish her the best of luck.. "What she has, she's had for more than a year now.". The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Played in 26 matches and 93 sets put down 125 kills, at 1.34 per set and hit .365 on the season She added 93 (7/86) blocks on the year with 35 digs and 22 aces put down a career-best nine kills, hitting .500 and adding four blocks against Rice (9/18) post an 8-0-8, 1.000 hitting line against West Virginia with seven blocks, two aces and two digs (10/19) recorded a career-best eight blocks against Kansas (11/23). * Favorite food Mexican food. Then she wants to play professionally overseas. ", "Yes, she can finish the season," Asjia remembered Najm saying. RELATED: See The Rock's 19-Year-Old Daughter, Who's Climbing Up the WWE Ranks. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. One of the parents said, "We flew down here just to see your daughter." 2021: VolleyballMag.com Fourth Team All-AmericanAVCA All-Southwest RegionFirst Team All-Big 12First Team Academic All-Big 12Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 26) 2021 The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Wearing No. Meet Me'Arah O'Neal. It was too dangerous for O'Neal to continue. O'Neal had outgrown the ring that was placed in her mitral valve during her first open-heart surgery. To find out more about the college player and her rising career, read on. Asjia's mother, Mesha, sitting in the bleachers behind the Oklahoma side of the court, says, "She looks upset." She had struggled through her first week of training, barely managing to stay on the court. ", "You just had your whole chest open, and you're already back," Gabriel recalled telling O'Neal. The NBA legend sat down with The Pivot Podcast last week, and he dished on how he has different requirements for his sons and daughters once they reach adulthood. ON THE MORNING of Jan. 14, 2020, two months before the pandemic shut down the country, O'Neal was wheeled into the operating room, with her parents, her brother, Koehler and coach Elliott by her side. During one of her first days at school, two girls asked her if she'd ever thought about playing volleyball. LSU Athletics, Louisiana State University, 2023. I really want some of my hotties to come to my graduation . "This is it? By identifying that O'Neal's leaky valve had worsened, the doctor that day started a chain reaction that could lead to celebrations for years to come. Nothing's going to happen to me. will be playing for head coach Johnny Jones, who coached Shaq at LSU from 1989 to 1992. "All the hard days and hard nights to be put in that position that's special," Jermaine said. Me'Arah O'Neal, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, is one of the top Her voice helped spark important changes on campus. Source: Instagram. The O'Neals immediately sprang to action. "I can't believe this is how you guys feel all the time," she said to Mesha. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) Me'Arah O'Neal, the youngest daughter of Shaquille O'Neal and Shaunie Nelson is the latest basketball sensation in the O'Neal household. Her doctor entered the room, holding her results in his hands. "I'm proud of the moment and just coming back from it -- so now, I'll wear whatever. At age 14, she received her first college letter, from LSU. During her freshman year at Crossroads, O'Neal started all 24 games, averaging 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Shaquille O'Neal's third daughter, Taahirah, 24, is from his relationship with ex Arnetta Yardbourgh. On Texas' second set point -- with the fans on their feet -- Gabriel and O'Neal connect on a perfect slide attack, and a smile finally creeps across O'Neal's face after she gets the set-clinching kill. Granger said although TSU leaders are excited, they were not shocked given the success of the university's programs. 2023 The University of Texas at Austin Athletics, J. Dan Brown Family Player Development Center. A fan walks over and interrupts our conversation. Two families who traveled from Indianapolis and Kansas City introduced themselves to Jermaine. The doctors operated on Asjia for five hours, stopping the leak and then closing her chest. The 72-year-old Toney played high school basketball and received the All-State guard title. 1 overall? Shaq brought all the kids out for this red carpet! * First season at LSU. A violation is called. Mesha is sitting next to her eating a salad, and even though she knows Asjia's story intimately, she's paying close attention, nodding at times, and adding her perspective here and there. A 2024 prospect, her recruiting has taken off as of late, and getting down to Baton Rouge was clearly of the utmost importance. And based on some of her highlight videos, it looks as though the 6-foot-4 teenager is already an unstoppable force like her dad. All the while, Asjia was hooked up to a heart-lung machine to keep her blood flowing while her heart was stopped so Najm could repair her valves. Taahirah O'Neal is the daughter of Shaquille O'Neal and his ex-girlfriend, Arnetta Yardsborough. are unconfirmed rumors. "I had a ton of dialogue with [her doctor], probably even more than she knows," Jermaine said. As Jermaine sat in the bleachers, he scanned the crowd -- posters carrying Asjia's face and her jersey number peppered the stands. Who will win nationals? "I had no idea, because it was the same protocol -- some days I would feel bad, some days I would feel better," said Asjia, who had a .413 hitting percentage and averaged 1.48 kills per set through the first 19 matches of that 2019 season. This 2020 season yall gone feel me.. HIGH SCHOOL (2016-20) Jed Jacobsohn/ALLSPORT. She wrote that she was facing the possibility of never playing volleyball again; now she expects to be back on the court come August. "She brings so much energy to the team and we feed off of her all the time.". 2 overall seed and opened the tournament with a sweep of Sacred Heart at home. Ayesha Harrison Jex, the sister of basketball great Shaquille O'Neal, has tragically died at the age of 40. Alex Murdaugh found GUILTY for murder of wife Maggie and son Paul. . / The oldest of seven children, Harrison explained the violence by saying his Jamaican father beat him . His official bio notes that he only played 10 games during the 2020-2021 season because of a fracture in his foot. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 1 team in Texas throughout most this past season. "She can get pretty feisty, and she can get pretty competitive -- and we need that.". Unlike the rest of the Shaq children, Taahirah isn't involved in basketball. Shaquille O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah, can dunk. After meeting she had four children from the marriage with Shaquille, Shareef O'Neal, Amirah O'Neal, Me'arah O'Neal, and Shaqir O'Neal. . Instead . He led several teams to championship victories during his career . * Life after basketball own my own business. It didn't feel like this was her game, like this was what she was meant to do. "I had tears in my eyes," Jermaine said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. * O the places I will go Dubai. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2016, Joseph interned at The News before working for The Ames Tribune and KOIN-TV in Portland. Amirah O'Neal, the daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, announced her college basketball commitment Thursday to her father's alma mater LSU.. She posted the decision on Instagram.Her brother . * Has three brothers, Myles, Shareef and Shaqir, and two sisters, Taahirah and Mearah; Shareef will be a member of the LSU mens basketball team in 2020-21. Me and her mother are talking about surgery, but she's talking about volleyball.". * Full name is Amirah Sanaa ONeal. She was on Southlake Carrolls varsity as a freshman but Southlake coach Ryan Mitchell has brought ONeal along slowly due to the impact overwhelming expectations coming too quickly and after ONeal had to undergo surgery to repair a heart valve as a 13-year-old. FILE: Amirah "Mimi" O'Neal, pictured third from left in 2018, the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal and VH1's Basketball Wives' star and executive producer, Shaunie O' Neal, has committed to play basketball at Texas Southern University, according to an Instagram post. Were hoping this will be a springboard where other people will take notice and other high-caliber athletes will give TSU and other HBCUs a chance as well.". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "I think it's important to tell my story and acknowledge that it happened. And for more entertainment and celebrity news sent to you directly, sign up for our daily newsletter. Recognizing the mannerism ways to get this books Shaquille O Neal The Inspiring Story Of One Of Ba is additionally useful. Me'arah O'Neal has so much of Shaquille O'Neal in her. Even before she knew the game's nuances, Asjia's hand-eye coordination was impeccable, and her height -- she was 5-10 at age 12 -- made her an immediate powerhouse. On her last day at the hospital, her doctor walked in and said, "This is going to hurt," as he prepared to remove the tubes. Shaquille O'Neal's third daughter, Taahirah, 24, is from his relationship with ex Arnetta Yardbourgh. Yes, the daughter of LSU legend Shaquille O'Neal. Her mitral valve leak had worsened, and to add to that, they found a second leak in her tricuspid valve. That was unacceptable. The two have three sons Myles, 24, Shareef, 21, and Shaqir, 18and two daughters Amirah, 19, and . When she was a toddler, her father, Jermaine O'Neal, was at the peak of his 18-season NBA career. The next day, she went up on stage and won the title, spelling the word "vegetable" for the championship. Shareef, Amirah's brother, is the second oldest of all the O'Neal kids and was the first to play college basketball. She does that at such a high level, she blows me away. Monique reported on the trendiest news within the greater Houston region and across Texas, and occasionally contributes to the Chronicle's race and identity newsletter, HouWeAre. Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal discussed his 2011 divorce from ex-wife Shaunie Nelson on a podcast on Tuesday. Amirah's little sister, Me'arah (left) is a rising sophomore at Crossroads School, where she plays basketball. Monique holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Media Studies from Goucher College. Shaquille O'Neal's wife and kids are Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me'arah. On the second day, she slowly sat up and walked a few steps with support. Shaquille O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah, can dunk. ONeal didnt play her senior season at Carroll. "Regardless of my accomplishments on the court, I think just having that imagery for young girls is incredible.". Played in all 29 matches and all 100 of 102 sets during the 2020 seasonfinished second in the Big 12 Conference with a .411 hitting percentage and was sixth in the league with 1.13 blocks per setranked third on the team with 222 total kills and second with 113 total blockshad a season-high 14 kills in the win at Kansas State (10/16)had a dominant performance in the NCAA Second Round match against Wright State (4/15) with a season-high nine total blocksfinished with double-digit kills in three of the five NCAA Tournament matches, including 13 in the win over Penn State (4/18). Shaquille O'Neal's Ex-Wife- Meet Shaunie O'Neal. She was also named to the MaxPreps 2018-19 California All-Division 3 Second Team. "And I'm like, 'Well, then why do I feel like this?'". Hope you guys enjoy this one as m. All along, she was plotting her comeback. She brought 152 kills and 95 blocks into this year's NCAA tournament, and Elliott said the Longhorns will need her in order to end the title drought that dates to 2012. Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter, See LeBron James' 16-Year-Old Son, Who's Already a Basketball Star, See The Rock's 19-Year-Old Daughter, Who's Climbing Up the WWE Ranks, Dennis Rodman's 18-Year-Old Daughter Just Made Sports History Twice, Women who had ovarian cysts share their stories, A sugar replacement may be linked to heart attacks and strokes, but don't throw it out yet. MeArah ONeal, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, is one of the top prospects in her class. It was for his daughter. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. "She's not going to give up," Shaunie explained. " Because O'Neal trained alone at home, it was hard to tell how far she had come in her rehab. He took Asjia with him to most every game, and by the time she walked and talked, she was on TV, in her father's arms, celebrating his career with him. She hadn't had a sip of water in almost a day (doctor's orders), and she couldn't for a while longer to prevent fluid buildup in her body. Teaching them . NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? He also stopped the leak in her tricuspid valve. Just a few minutes ago, the scoreboard read 22-17. In addition to Shaq's former wife of 9 years, Shaunie O'Neal, the basketball legend has been linked to countless women. All rights reserved. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal was born on the 6th day of March 1972 in Newark, New Jersey, the United States, to his mother, Lucille O'Neal, and father, Joe Toney, a former American basketball player. Shaquille O'Neal, commonly known as just Shaq, 49, . "It speaks volumes for our program and where we are, and were thankful that the ONeals have the confidence in us to trust us with their son and daughter. Shaquille O'Neal said on his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq," that he was a "serial cheater" and the affairs cost him valuable time with his kids. She surprised herself by not just leading her team in conversations about racial justice, but also taking those conversations to various communities within UT. This situation is dripping with irony and serendipity. The two have three sonsMyles, 24, Shareef, 21, and Shaqir, 18and two daughtersAmirah, 19, and Me'arah, 15. His tenure in the NBA stretched for nearly 20 years. "Athletes, when they are exercising, they convert their cardiac output -- as we call it -- or circulation, they multiply that by at least five times, sometimes more. He's also a forward at LSU, just on the men's team. What supplements should we really be taking? Hook Em! pic.twitter.com/qZyGv1ESgr, Asjia O'Neal (@asjiaoneal) April 27, 2016. She also earned the 2019 MaxPreps California All-State Girls Team honorable mention and is a two-time All-State honoree. TSU did finish last season with a 5-10 record during the pandemic-ravaged season. When O'Neal arrived back on campus, she called her mom from the sidewalk; Mesha O'Neal heard only sobs. O'Neal burst into tears once again, holding her face, sobbing and remembering. Accompanying her . For six weeks after her surgery, she was home in Dallas, slowly building up her strength. "Let's get it over with," she said. "We're going to get a second opinion," Mesha said forcefully into the phone. Her older brother Shareef O'Neal posted a video on Twitter Tuesday night of the young baller throwing down on a regulation 10-foot hoop. Jermaine, who had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in 2013, called every doctor he knew in the NBA to get his daughter the best treatment he could. Published on October 25, 2019 10:02 AM. NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is a proud father of six kids . LSU has always been a top choice for me, and my dad influenced my decision a lot. Extremely blessed to say that I have verbally committed to play volleyball at the University of Texas! A 12-year-old growing up in Southern California, she was born into basketball royalty and is now starting to showcase that n I literally just told her this yesterday, I said, 'Asjia, you're special, because you're much bigger than just a volleyball player.'". Took a red shirt in her freshman season. After her first sand workout that summer, she called her mom crying. ", When they walked into Najm's office, they asked, almost in unison, "Could she finish the season? Harrison-Jex had been diagnosed . * Daughter of Shaquille ONeal and Shaunie ONeal; Dad played for LSU from 1989-92 and was the No. ONeal is the daughter for former NBA first-rounder Jermaine ONeal , who was one of the first players to go directly to the NBA from high school. In her free time, Amirah also enjoys cooking, drawing, and painting. At 13, she had undergone an open-heart surgery so she could play the sport she loved at the highest level. She was no longer 13, and they were reopening the same incision and using a bone saw to cut open her chest. The teen notes in her profile that LSU was one of her top choices partly because her dad played there from 1989 to 1992. Asjia hung up and walked in a daze to her dorm room, where her teammates and friends Jhenna Gabriel and Logan Eggleston were waiting. * Why LSU? The news sent Jermaine and Mesha into a spiral, but Asjia had a much more direct approach. She just decided shes not playing high school volleyball, then-Carroll head coach Ryan Mitchell said at the time. The former Ozen High star and 14-year NBA vet has more on his mind than basketball, offering essays on life, his family and America. After a day of exhaustive tests, which included injecting dye into her heart to see the direction of the blood flow, and other athletic tests to monitor her heart at the highest exertion levels, her doctors confirmed the O'Neal family's fears. PERSONAL. "But because she wanted to play sports, she needed it. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. Shaquille O' Neal disclosed the importance of hard work, education, and how he instilled those core values into his six children, whose ages range from 16 to 24, on July 6 during a discussion . In March 2013, two months after the unsettling diagnosis, Asjia landed in Boston at the Children's Hospital for her first open-heart surgery. This journey has made me truly grateful for the ability to play the game I love and lit a fire inside of me that yall aint seen yet. HONORS AND AWARDS Midway through a cartwheel, Asjia said, "Dad, I'm going to win it." For more high school stories, stats and videos, visit http://usatodayhss.com. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider I see the doubt in they faces, they didnt think I would make it, she wrote in the caption. Now 8 days post op Im feeling better and doing more each day, ONeal wrote, and while I know the road to recovery is gonna be a long and hard one Im ready and cant wait to be back on the court in August. As I wached another of those endless run of commercials this morning featuring Shaquille O'Neal speaking to a cartoon general, with the ex-NBA player hawking auto insurance, I was struck by not only how many commercials Shaq makes, but the wide, random, range of companies that he has endorsed.. O'Neal has spoken on behalf of -- to name just a few -- a sleep apnea mask, a sugar substitute . Regular Season, Playoffs, All-Star) Heres what you need to know. But doctors told the O'Neal family that Asjia could lead an otherwise normal life. She felt the tube leave her body, tears streaming down her face, her chest erupting in pain. She has a younger brother, and what happened to George Floyd could happen to him. Me'arah O'Neal 6'4 2024 is so special @MeArahONeall . I'm rich," O'Neal said while breaking down his parenting philosophy on the podcast. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. She started dominating in the playoffs as a freshman. I don't know if I can do this," Asjia said to Mesha on the phone after one of her first spring practice sessions during her redshirt freshman year at Texas in 2019. SHAQUILLE O'Neal is arguably one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. 2019 ONeal has starred in AAU summer competitions for several years. Where do you think the four-star prospect will end up committing to. When O'Neal awoke, the clock in front of her bed read 10 p.m., and her throat was on fire. ", To Asjia, it's all a blur now. (Mesha has missed only one home game this season, and she sent over her parents to watch her daughter play that day.). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. On April 19 2022 he opened up . It does not store any personal data. [I'll] guide them in the right path," the former player said. FILE: Amirah "Mimi" O'Neal, pictured third from left in 2018, the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal and VH1's Basketball Wives' star and executive producer, Shaunie O . So, we gotta change that.". Asjia was a "big baby," Jermaine said, recollecting her birth, when she arrived with a mitral valve leak, which would require regular cardiology appointments and monitoring. Grammy-award winning rapper and Houston native Megan Thee Stallion is also a TSU student and intends to join the list of alumni soon, after she recently confirmed her anticipated fall graduation.