"I’m her protector. Now, pick on me" — Shaquille O’Neal threatens to punch Robert Griffin III over Angel Reese

NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has delivered a tough warning to former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, saying he might resort to violence if Griffin doesn’t stop his negative comments about WNBA player Angel Reese.

O’Neal, a Hall of Famer famous for his strong presence in basketball, expressed that he’s had it with Griffin’s remarks. The issue arose when Griffin reposted a racist edit of Reese’s NBA 2K26 cover, which O’Neal criticized as crossing the line.

Robert Griffin III reposts racist NBA 2K26 edit of Angel Reese sparking immediate backlash

The situation that set O’Neal off took place when Griffin reposted a racist edit of Angel Reese’s NBA 2K26 cover on social media. The edit contained derogatory and racially insensitive visuals, which caused immediate backlash.

Griffin stated he was trying to highlight the racism to condemn it, but many people criticized him for promoting the hateful content by sharing it with his large follower base. This action was viewed as irresponsible, especially considering Griffin’s history of making comments about Reese that some believe are unnecessarily harsh.

Some users on X mentioned, “The original tweet has 22 likes and 6k views in over a day while your resharing has half a million in 2 hours lmao you did this Just for clicks” and another user also criticized him and wrote, “You are a loser for this.

You spent more time spilling your “tea” than you did condemning the clear hate and racism. Stop playing both side and just stay where you been at a cornball.”

Shaquille O’Neal defends Angel Reese on FS1’s Off The Record podcast

O’Neal unleashed his frustration during an appearance on the Off The Record podcast, hosted by FS1. Speaking directly to Griffin, he said, “RGIII, tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese and I’m gonna punch you in your f---ing face. K. It’s enough. Like, I don’t usually do stuff like this but stop it, bro.”

He continued, “You got your job, you got your podcast, leave my Angel Reese alone. I’m the one calling her and telling her not to respond, f---ing stop it.

That’s the last time. K. Thank you.”

O’Neal didn’t stop there. He challenged the narrative around Reese and Clark’s rivalry, saying, “That’s not real hate. You look around at what’s going on in this real country, that’s hate. This is sports, I’m not supposed to like you.”

He then took a swipe at Griffin’s legacy — “It’s a shame that all the stuff you did in your life, you’re gonna be remembered for your podcast. That should tell you you’re not that f---ing great.

” O’Neal added, “I don’t want to be remembered for Shaq’s big podcast. I do not. Like leave those girls alone. You already spoke on it. Let it go.”

The most striking moment came when O’Neal declared himself Reese’s protector: “She’s not gonna respond cause I’m the one calling and telling her, ‘Baby, keep it classy.’ Because she’s not soft, by any means, she’s from the streets. But I’m like, you’re beautiful, don’t indulge with these fools. Cause he’s a fool. … Like, don’t pick on that little girl. Cause guess what? I’m her protector. Now pick on me. You pick on me, I’m gonna punch you in your f---ing face.

”Also Read: Myles Turner finally reveals what pushed him to leave the Indiana Pacers after Tyrese Haliburton’s injuryWith O'Neal's towering 7'1" stature and tough reputation, most people would probably think twice before confronting him.