If you haven’t noticed, we are examining Basketball Wives to the ground. Our regular features include our recaps, Royce Reed‘s recaps, scene-specific video interviews with Tami Roman and this, our latest one: some quick printed commentary on various issues and scenes with Shaunie O’Neal. Below, Shaunie gives her thoughts on the first episode: staying in the Gansevoort all summer, introducing Tami to the group and making sense of Evelyn’s beef with Suzie…
On staying at the Gansevoort Hotel for the entire summer:
I thought it was great at first. There’s something about staying in Miami at a hotel, somebody’s cleaning up after me, all that good stuff…but it got old real fast. I’m gonna give it maybe a week and a half? I was tired of waiting for valet to bring the car, of spending a gazillion dollars on a grapefruit half for breakfast. Then I got smart and started going to the grocery store, and you have this little bitty refrigerator which is fine…but it got old. It got old really, really quickly and a bit lonely at times. Thank God my kids were right there in Orlando. On the days we weren’t shooting and production was closed, I dipped over to them. It actually worked out better than me being in L.A. because it’s even harder for me to go back and forth to Orlando from L.A. So that was actually a plus for being in Miami: I could just pop over and see them in 45 minutes, spend the weekend with them or whatever.
On Evelyn’s choice words about Tami upon meeting her:
I felt it coming when Tami was sitting at the table because I’ve known Evelyn for some years. I can totally feel her energy and her body language and her facial expressions. I already knew she had something to say, I just didn’t know what. And when Tami left [the table], it was just like, oh God here we go. Because that’s Evelyn. She’s honest and very blunt about everything. And she went in like, “I don’t know this woman. And I’mma tell you exactly how I feel about what I’m seeing.” And that is her with anybody all the time. I’m not gonna say yes, it’s cool. But that’s Evelyn. I already know what’s coming so I was not surprised.
On the Evelyn/Suzie divide and, as executive producer, having to work with both sides:
It was a little uncomfortable but then it became just a pain in the butt. It was so annoying after a while because I’m closer to Evelyn; I’ve known her longer. I honestly only know Suzie through the show. I didn’t establish a friendship with Suzie. We were associates and we were cordial and cool. We hung out altogether, it was just that simple so it didn’t affect me. What was going on with her and Evelyn really didn’t personally affect me. It wasn’t like I’m gonna put my arms around her and say, “Hey why don’t we get close?” It was just, “Let’s keep it how it’s been: cordial, cool if we’re around each other.” And even now, I can be around Suzie. I’m not mad at her, she didn’t do anything to me. It was just a pain in the butt because we couldn’t do anything together at all. It was a pain the ass, everything. Everything became an issue. And I felt like at some point Suzie needed to realize that we all had a job here, we all signed up to be on the show, and you have to commit to what you committed to. And we’re all adults so nobody’s gonna let you get beat up and whatever. I love everyone to death. I’m not gonna let Evelyn fight Suzie. And I constantly had to tell Suzie that, which it didn’t seem to help.
Related content
Royce Reed’s Basketball Wives Episode 1 recap
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Shaunie O’Neal interview on Basketball Wives Season 2
Tami Roman interview on Basketball Wives Season 2
15 responses to to Finer Points Of Basketball Wives With Shaunie O’Neal
Hello Shaunie, I think you are a cool and sweet person. Stay beautiful and stay sweet. Your personality is very very awesome. You are very classy and very humble. Love watching the show. Shaunie continue to keep it real, and stay classy lady!
hi Shaunie, so glad to see all of the Basketball wives back, i know that this is going to be a great season,i can feel it lol….All of the Women are just great
I think shaunie started off on the right foot when it came to gloreia because it takes real closer to be able to not point the finger and hate every one in the family even if one person has done you wrong but at the end of the first season she droped the ball and played the blaming game with the wrong person its almost like she only kept gloreia in her court because she thought that she would turn on her sister and tell her what she wanted to hear on national tv and i agree with gloreia 100% blood is thicker than water and even if her sister killed o neal her sister comes over and above yes wrong is wrong but blood is blood and her parents raised her right.
shaunie i think you are a very bright woman getting these ladies to express their lives to us but it seems that you know whats going to be beef and sit back and watch.i think evelyn is very arrogant and only picks on those timid women but it looks like from your previews tammi knuckles up.if you really can be engaged for 10 years and not get a husband then you have issues be careful chad!!!
Shaunie played herself last season by bringing Gloria on the show. Gloria wasn’t with Shaq her sister supposedly was(we still don’t know if that was true). Shaunie blood is thicker than water no matter if what the family has done was wrong on right. You made yourself look stupid, specially when you and Shaq had already separted. Yall went in on Gloria like she had been the one involved. I lost a lot of respect for last season.
Shaunie you are whack and fake you love drama and love to be the center of. For you to even think that Gloria would go against her sister is beyond me. As i watch this current season your fakeness comes through even more. how do you all feel acting the way you do on TV and you have children you should be disappointed in yourself. There’s other ways to make money then showing your ass on TV. also weren’t you the one that said on the Wendy Williams show that you would be behind the scenes of the show??????
Shaunie, your new boo Marlon is HOT! He is a keeper, GOOD JOB!!
I must say that this show is turning into exactly what Shaunie said she didn’t want it to. I’m very surprised by the cattiness and immaturity expressed by the ladies. I remember reading magazine articles and watching interviews of Shaunie doing press for the show and was really looking forward to what I thought would be a good,intelligent and mature television show. Especially, since I thought the show would be showing African American women in a positive light. I must say that this show is doing the exact opposite. Maybe it will get better as the season continues but I have to admit, I don’t know if I can continue watching but probably will because it’s like watching a trainwreck. I will say that Evelyn is quite the bully, Tami seems a bit ghetto still after all these years, Jennifer needs to take off the mask and be honest with herself, Shaunie I hope you can get the show back on track to what you say you originally envisioned it to be, Suzie needs tough skin, Royce keep doing you but I think you’re foul for the upcoming confrontation that’s going to go down, and Gloria should continue doing her. I do like you ladies but have to wonder if this is all for tv and ratings. I wish you ladies well and God Bless!
Question did Gloria sleep with shaq or her sister. Funny Shaunie hasn’t step to her.. But what is funny is I hear she is cool with Shaq but mad at Gloria…REALLY
Wow…Strong Black Women …..right
THis show is ridiculous. Shame on you Shaunie. Is this what you are all about. These are some Catty, imature women. And most importantly…there is only one that is even a freakin wife. Everybody is an ex…including you Shaunie.. This should have been called Baseketball hoe’s or Basketball Ex;s. Aint nobody friends on the show. And that big mouth Evelyn. I hope she gets her but kicked. She is all talk. Throwing drinks at folks, talking about their back, texting threats. This is high school. Can someone please come out with a show about REAL basketball wives, who are married for years with children and they show how they take care of their families and manage careers without all the petty high school drama! Again…Shame on you Shaunie…but i guess that’s why you are an ex-basketball wife.
THis show is ridiculous. Shame on you Shaunie. Is this what you are all about. These are some Catty, imature women. And most importantly…there is only one that is even a freakin wife. Everybody is an ex…including you Shaunie.. This should have been called Baseketball hoe’s or Basketball Ex;s. Aint nobody friends on the show. And that big mouth Evelyn. I hope she gets her but kicked. She is all talk. Throwing drinks at folks, talking about their back, texting threats. This is high school. Can someone please come out with a show about REAL basketball wives, who are married for years with children and they show how they take care of their families and manage careers without all the petty high school drama! Again…Shame on you Shaunie…but i guess that’s why you are an ex-basketball wife.
I got hooked on season 1. But this season is turning out to be such a disappointment. There is so much more drama amongst the ladies. I really thought this show was gonna be about women supporting each other, I thought that was what Shaunie was all about. I used to love Evelyn and I really respected Shaunie for being such a strong woman of great integrity. Now I feel like they are mean girls. I didn’t like how they treated Gloria in the first season. I know Shaunie had issues with her personally but I had hoped they could work it out or at least just leave it to a disagreement but not dog each other about it. This season reminds me of when I was in school where the girls were so mean and they decided who was in and who was out and if you were out they made sure they put you down every chance they had. I am disappointed that Evelyn is like that and I am surprised that Shaunie is participating in it. I used to think they were so beautiful but seeing them act so ugly is really making them ugly. I hope that they can humble themselves and see that not everything is about them, they could really be such a great example for women. Women need to have each other’s backs and not tear each other down. For instance, instead of being happy for what Suzie had, they had to judge her and expect the worst. Then when they called off the wedding, instead of being compassionate and hoping for the best, they actually reveled in Suzie’s potential heartbreak. If they worked on their insides, developing who God created them to be as much as they worked on their outside, they would be incredibly beautiful. And then they would be living fulfilled, abundant and truly happy lives without all this drama. I wish them all the very very best.
i can’t understand why you continue to go back and forth with Gloria, you look rediculous…..and out of all the women that shaq fooled around with, why are you attacking his alleged mistress sister? i also thought it was very tacky that you allowed a scene of you and your boyfriend to be put in this episode on a show that’s called Basketball WIVES, and he is even more of a fool for going thru with it. and by the way, your nose is shaped like an arrow.
Shaunie…this show is displaying everything the world is saying about you and the cast. “Disgruntled Ex’s” Get over it and stop living in the name of your ex’s.
Yes, we wold very much enjoy seeing the inside of your lives, however as women with children…tell me what message are displaying to the upcoming young ladies.
You – divorced with children are living out of a hotel and displaying your young BOYfriend, when you should be at home.
Evelyn – Total disgrace because she has a 17 yr. daughter who is most likely going to end up just like her.
Jennifer – The most sorray @$$ woman I’ve seen in a long time.
Royce – So caught up you can’t even put Dwights name under her. All we see is Ex Dancer.
Gloria…I appreciate that she and her man are not getting involved in that catty shyt. Her and Matt may not work, however she is staying true to her heart and her children. She did not mess up your marriage with Shaq, you should not generate your anger towards her…so to her sister.
Tami – If she ever gets her hands on Evelyn…I want her to twist her neck back. I hope Tami does not stoop to your level.
A Bunch of unclassy, unsophisticated, catty women with children.
What a lovely day for a 1497213! SCK was here