LSU Tigers forward Shareef O'Neal once again paid homage to the late Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant.
The son of Shaquille O'Neal shared a photo of himself donning the Lakers 3-peat jacket, which was famously worn by Bryant after the Purple and Gold captured its third consecutive NBA title in the 2002 Finals.
The leather jacket was designed by Jeff Hamilton, the same man who also made the Chicago Bulls' 3-peat jackets in the '90s.
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The Lakers were pretty much unbeatable from 2000 to 20002, dispatching Eastern Conference champions Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets in the Finals.
Shareef, 20, was just a little kid around the time his father won three Finals MVP's during the Lakers' dominant stretch. Still, he was lucky enough to watch those heated games live and was actually part of one of the most iconic plays in NBA history involving Kobe Bryant.
Remember the time Shaq famously pointed to the stands when he completed an alley-oop pass from Bryant in Game 7 of the 2000 WCF against the Portland Trail Blazers?
Turns out, Shaq was actually pointing to his young son Shareef who was watching live. The young O'Neal also developed a tight relationship with Bryant, whom he refers to as his “uncle”.
Shareef was also one of the last people who got a text from Bryant moments before the tragic helicopter accident that claimed his life and eight others last January.
O'Neal, a 6-foot-9 forward, has already endured a lot of adversity early in his basketball career. Reef underwent open-heart surgery during his redshirt year with the UCLA Bruins. He made a full recovery and has since transferred to his father's alma mater.
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