Shaquille O'Neal is giving the "Hawk Tuah" girl some sage advice ... how to navigate her newfound celebrity status.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... when Shaq and Hailey Welch linked up in Nashville last weekend, the NBA legend started dropping knowledge.
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We're told Shaq gave Hailey a bunch of tips on how to deal with fame ... advising her to keep a smart team around because folks will come out of the woodwork to try and take advantage of her.