Angel Reese and Shaquille O'Neal have developed a close relationship over the years. The initial connection, many believe, was built because both the stars had their own basketball legacies at LSU, decades apart.
Since then, though, O'Neal has often publicly supported Reese, whether it was defending her against criticism, praising her growth as a player, or helping bring her into the Reebok family after taking charge of the company's basketball division.
So, when the two sit down together, the conversations are usually comfortable enough to go in almost any direction. That was exactly the case during an episode of Reese's "Unapologetically Angel" podcast, where a discussion about relationships turned into quite an amusing exchange.
The topic was emotional cheating, something the four-time NBA champion admitted he views differently than many. During the conversation, he recalled a situation from a past relationship in which a woman checked his phone because she suspected he might be emotionally cheating.
O'Neal argued that people should trust their partners rather than constantly looking for evidence of wrongdoing. Then he even added a joke, sharing how tough it would be to catch him.
"It's called other phone in one of my other cars. I got 40 cars. If you figure out which car my other phone is, you can go through it, but you're not," he said .
That immediately caught Reese's attention, and she did not take time to reply.
"I'm scared of men like you," she said. "I don't want a man ever having 40 cars and 40 phones."
That comment left both of them laughing before O'Neal clarified that he was joking and mainly wanted to see Reese's reaction. What looked like a conversation quickly went off the rails and became one of the lighter moments of the episode.
But before the conversation got to hidden phones and dozens of cars, the WNBA star and O'Neal were already on opposite sides of the debate.
The former NBA MVP made it clear that he does not necessarily view texting or flirting as cheating. For him, the line is crossed when things become physical. Reese was certainly not of that thought.
The Atlanta Dream star explained that she would not be comfortable with her partner complimenting other women. But that point led Shaq to explain one of his own theories.
"Why would I tell her she's beautiful?" he asked.
Reese went on to suggest it could simply be about boosting someone's confidence. But O'Neal pushed back.
"No. To set her up my boy, any boy. I don't know her, but I'll know her. I'm just going to see her response."
According to the NBA legend, his intention would not be to pursue the woman himself. Instead, he claimed he would be trying to see whether she might be a good match for one of his friends.
O'Neal explained that if the woman responded flirtatiously, he would move on and not recommend her. If she goes the other way, he would then introduce her to a friend who was looking to meet someone.
For O'Neal, this is where disagreements about emotional cheating often begin. If a girlfriend sees such messages, she might not be able to know the full context. But, only if every other guy texting or flirting had the same view.
Still, the result was a conversation that moved from emotional cheating to secret phones, cars and the WNBA star drawing a line at dating someone like O'Neal. At least if that someone comes with 40 cars and 40 phones.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
