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As NBA fans continue their wait for the 2022-23 season, fans are presented with the exciting Summer League where young players look to grab the final roster spots in their respective teams. One of these young players who are hungry for his opportunity, is Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
Shareef put on a show against the Charlotte Hornets as he had a thunderous dunk in the first quarter. The former LSU tiger stole the ball and drove the ball towards the hole. As he neared the basket, Shareef rose up and threw down a monstrous slam replicating his father. The Lakers lost the match 86-89 in sudden death over time.
But Shareef O’Neal didn’t get full support from his Hall of Famer father but still, he insisted to take this route. "We kind of bump heads about this process," the younger O'Neal said. "He wanted me to stay in school. I wanted to better myself through this. He knows I'm working out with teams. But I'm not going to lie, we ain't talked about this. I'm kind of just going through it. He didn't do any pre-draft workouts; he just got straight on the [Orlando Magic], so it's a different grind."
"He didn't like that idea at all," O'Neal added of his father. "It sucks that he didn't like that idea, but I'm a grown man, I'm 22 years old, and I can make my own decisions. It was right in front of my face. I'm not backing up from it. I'm going to go get it if I see it. That's just how I'm built. I take everything the same way. I took my heart surgery the same way. Being cleared was right in front of me, being healthy was right in front of me, and I went for it,” he added.