At her peak, she could run 10 minutes before she started to feel light-headed. On the first day after the operation, she couldn't sit up, couldn't engage her core in any way, and her parents had to sit her up. NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is a proud father of six kids . 1 team in Texas throughout most this past season. "I can't believe this is how you guys feel all the time," she said to Mesha. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. * Three-time All-CIF Team The intensity of her volleyball training was the likely cause, her doctors told her parents. * Has three brothers, Myles, Shareef and . But seven years later, just as she was positioned to become an impact player at one of the elite programs, the one thing she wanted to avoid at all costs was staring her right in her face: a life without volleyball. A month after Texas' season ended, O'Neal walked into Cleveland Clinic in a green dressing gown, ready to have her heart cut open -- again. There have been models, actresses, and reality TV personalities Flavor of Love 's Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander being among the most high profile of Shaq's girlfriends. * Nickname is Mimi. (@mearahoneal_). A few minutes later, she heard the doctor ask her if she would consider other, less intense, sports. "Regardless of my accomplishments on the court, I think just having that imagery for young girls is incredible.". Any long cardio exercises -- running on the treadmill or pedaling -- were out of the question. Now, she could perform the entire routine on resting heart rate. A fan walks over and interrupts our conversation. But today, she embraces them, both on her social media and in real life. Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal and reality TV star Shaunie O'Neal first got together at the start of the '00s and were married for nine years before they divorced in 2011. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". BEFORE TEXAS. "She's not talking about surgery. The L.A. event, which featured Zedd, Diplo and Lil Wayne, was a smash success. Holding her mother's hands tight, she remembered how this hurt after her first surgery, and the tubes were bigger this time. Previously he covered high school sports for The News. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Me and her mother are talking about surgery, but she's talking about volleyball.". She didn't miss a game in 2020, returning to action eight months after surgery and finishing the season with 222 kills and 113 blocks. RELATED: Dennis Rodman's 18-Year-Old Daughter Just Made Sports History Twice. His official bio notes that he only played 10 games during the 2020-2021 season because of a fracture in his foot. Now, it is anybody's set. "She never wanted to accept that her heart [condition] prevented her from doing certain things that other people could easily do," Mesha said. She also earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors once and was named a Freshman All-American by VolleyballMag.com. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. The four-time NBA champion went on to reveal the standards his kids must uphold if they want a piece of the O'Neal money pie. Southlake (Texas) Carroll sophomore volleyball star Asjia O'Neal has committed to Texas for the Class of 2018. Then he calls captain Logan Eggleston to run over to question the call. . She had a lot to learn -- volleyball's rules were "weird" -- but she loved the intensity, the ability to work closely with her teammates when the ball was in the air and the speed of the game. ", When Jermaine told her that they'd have to fly to Cleveland, Asjia's first reaction was, "Wait, am I going to miss my next game?". Amirah ONeal will be coached by one of the greatest WNBA players ever, Cynthia Cooper, who won four consecutive titles with the now-defunct Houston Comets from 1997-2000. "[The] doctors, they're like, 'Oh, it's the same as it always has been,'" O'Neal said. Since his father Toney got arrested due to drug possession when Shaquille was still an infant, he relinquished his parental rights to O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip A Harrison, who was a sergeant in the Army. Texas reached the NCAA final under coach Jerritt Elliott last December and lost to Nebraska in Omaha in the championship match. Her younger brother, Shaqir, second from left, will also play at TSU. "[Asjia] was not able to perform because her heart was not able to [sustain] at that level.". Publish date: Aug 10, 2021 6:37 PM EDT. Shareef O'Neal had six points and four rebounds in his 10 first-half minutes during LSU's 75-55 win over Missouri. Shaquille O'Neal returned to LSU on Saturday, but it wasn't for him. However, admittedly, the thought of the man asking his adorable daughter for it, and her begrudgingly giving it to him is a fun thought to have. A video surfaced online Tuesday night of O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah O'Neal, dunking on a regulation 10-foot hoop in what appears to be a home gym. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". During her junior season she had 509 kills and 121 blocks to lead Southlake Carroll to the Class 6A Region I final. She was also named to the MaxPreps 2018-19 California All-Division 3 Second Team. In order to monitor O'Neal's heart and to compare her to people without a heart condition, her teammates wore heart monitors during practice. Amirah "Mimi" O'Neal, 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. She wrote that she was facing the possibility of never playing volleyball again; now she expects to be back on the court come August. ONeal has starred in AAU summer competitions for several years. 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. Shaquille O'Neal, aka Shaq, is a retired professional basketball player who is currently serving as a sports analyst. PrepVolleyball No. "Weve positioned ourselves to attract high recruits," he said. The two have three sonsMyles, 24, Shareef, 21, and Shaqir, 18and two daughtersAmirah, 19, and Me'arah, 15. 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. But more important than anything, she wants to inspire young girls -- young Black girls -- that anything is possible. Instead of opening up her heart to replace the valve with a prosthetic one, as would be the norm with cases like hers, Najm re-repaired her mitral valve, removing fibrous tissues around the valve before placing the bigger ring. * Two-time All-State honoree Before the surgery, even a long warm-up exercise -- which included yoga postures like downward dog, sugarcane and bow pose -- would leave her winded. Shareef O'Neal, Me'arah's older brother, originally posted the video on Twitter with the caption, "So my 13 year old sister is a cheat code.". Now, she's somewhere in the high 90s. It does not store any personal data. The third day, she could walk farther. fishing, mountainside furniture racing, high school volleyball, rookie league baseball, and whatever was going on at the local rodeo.Author Scott Reiss -- of . 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. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. More viscerally, Asjia was willing to open her heart -- twice -- to ensure that. * Cal-Hi Sports Division IV All-State Team He led several teams to championship victories during his career . 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. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball . Powered by BizBudding, Shaquille ONeals Children: Meet All Of Shaqs Kids. But when she returned to campus in July 2020, she could see how she compared to her teammates. At 13, she needed open-heart surgery. He also stopped the leak in her tricuspid valve. Instead . The . Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. O'Neal is the daughter for former NBA first-rounder Jermaine O'Neal , who was . At every level of basketball, Shaquille O'Neal dominated. Shaquille O'Neal Expressed Displeasure Towards Michael B Jordan to 'Aunt' Nischelle Turner . SHAQUILLE O'Neal is arguably one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. She also helped the Texas Advantage Volleyball 17 Black club team win the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship the summer before her senior season and was named a club All-American by PrepVolleyball.com. Monique holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Media Studies from Goucher College. Shaquille O'Neal keeps it old school when it comes to his children turning 18 years old, and his daughters have a considerable advantage over his sons!. NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? Shaq brought all the kids out for this red carpet! 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. Keisha Lance Bottoms previews President Bidens trip to Selma, Tom Sizemore Dies At The Age Of 61 Following A Brain Aneurysm, Singer Juanialys music brings positive vibes, Songstress Melba Moore continues to pave the way for the next generation, Anslem ElumogoGardner shares the top 3 skills a future executive needs, Dr. Dana Laughlin gives advice for finding a therapist. After the death of George Floyd, O'Neal felt a similar need to be heard. The level at which Texas played was so much higher than what she was used to, but all the other freshmen did it, so why couldn't she? "They would always try to make me cough things up, but it would hurt so bad to cough because obviously my chest is broken," O'Neal said. Shaquille O'Neal's Ex-Wife- Meet Shaunie O'Neal. At 13, she had undergone an open-heart surgery so she could play the sport she loved at the highest level. Joseph Hoyt, Staff Writer. He finished with a season-high seven rebounds and season-high nine points on 4-of . This 2020 season yall gone feel me.. The athlete shares his oldest daughter with his former girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh, whom he dated for four years in the 1990s prior to . At 15, when she saw Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott at several of her matches, her excitement grew. CAREER "In the perfect world, I'd like them to have a bachelor's and master's and [be] going into their own field.". I'm rich," O'Neal said while breaking down his parenting philosophy on the podcast. PrepVolleyball No. Shaunie was Shaq O'Neal's wife. 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. Regular Season, Playoffs, All-Star) "But because she wanted to play sports, she needed it. 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. (O'Neal has a daughter with Arnetta Yardbourgh. Shaunie O'Neal - (1998 - 2009) Shaunie O'Neal serving Monday goals. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Granger said although TSU leaders are excited, they were not shocked given the success of the university's programs. At Carroll, ONeal played on varsity from her freshman season through her junior year. Two families who traveled from Indianapolis and Kansas City introduced themselves to Jermaine. Point Oklahoma. Sign up for notifications from Insider! 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. Shaquille O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter, Me'arah, can dunk. ONeal monitors her health but hasnt been restricted or been unable to participate due to any heart-related problems. "She said what needed to be said.". As soon as the doctors left the room, Asjia turned to her parents and said, "I just want to finish out the season. CSUN's Merren, East Bay's Smith win CalHOPE, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Tennessee coach Vitello to return after suspension, No. 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. ", To Asjia, it's all a blur now. She watched Koehler's mouth move, but couldn't process a word of the urgent conversation her trainer was having with her doctor. She has a younger brother, and what happened to George Floyd could happen to him. The father-of-six says he's been playing with Tonka's trucks "since the seventies" and buying them for his own children since the 90s. She surprised herself by not just leading her team in conversations about racial justice, but also taking those conversations to various communities within UT. Three tubes were inserted into the holes during her surgery to help collect fluid buildup that occurs during an open-heart surgery. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. Took a red shirt in her freshman season. 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. * Attended Crossroads for three years before being homeschooled in 2019-20. PERSONAL. The monitors revealed how hard her heart was working to allow her to play. Taahirah O'Neal is the daughter of Shaquille O'Neal and his ex-girlfriend, Arnetta Yardsborough. "She's the biggest hype man on the court -- you can see every emotion on her face," Eggleston said. "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. 3 Tennessee suspends baseball coach Vitello, FSU AD: Lagging ACC revenue 'has to change', Huskers volleyball set for outdoors to spike crowd, Road to the men's Frozen Four: Conference tournaments at a glance, College softball rankings: The top 25 teams in the NCAA this week, Previewing the 2023 college softball season: Players you need to watch, key storylines and WCWS predictions. *Terms apply. The cause of death was cancer. She began holding her bottle at 2 months, with "these big hands," as Jermaine recalled, and walked and talked before she even turned 1, at about 8 months old. via Pinterest. Shaq never talked much about his split with Shaunie until March 2022. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. Shaquille O'Neal's wife and kids are Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me'arah. We got to spend a day with Shaqir O'Neal at his insane Atlanta mansion where we also got a few surprises from Shaq himself! "It was amazing to watch her speak -- she didn't care about hurting anybody's feelings," Gabriel said. * Majoring in Agricultural Business with an emphasis in International Business. O'Neal has become a leader for Texas, the national runner-up to Kentucky a year ago. . Recognizing the mannerism ways to get this books Shaquille O Neal The Inspiring Story Of One Of Ba is additionally useful.