Shaq Says Angel Reese Can Trash Talk All She Wants: 'When You're a Champion, You're Allowed to'

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal says LSU star Angel Reese has earned the right to talk trash after leading her team to the 2023 NCAA championship win.

"When you're a champion, you're allowed to TYS: talk your stuff," O'Neal tells PEOPLE of Reese, 20, after she was heavily criticized for taunting during Sunday's title game, which LSU ultimately won 102-85.

O'Neal, who thinks this year's women's Final Four was "the best Final Four in sports history," says he reached out to Reese personally to tell her not to worry about the naysayers.

"I talked to Angel yesterday. I said, 'Hey, you're a champion. Enjoy being a champion and have fun.' "

The NBA on TNT analyst first came to Reese's defense after the game on Sunday, in response to sports reporter Keith Olbermann's heavily-criticized tweet calling her an "idiot" for her taunts to Clark. "Shut your dumb a-- up leave Angel Reese alone," O'Neal wrote on Sunday.

Reese reposted the tweet and wrote, "yeah my uncle shaq don't play bout me. period."