Shareef O'Neal, the son of Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal, took a huge step in his NBA career on Thursday after it was reported that he had signed with the same team his dad used to play for many years ago. It was a dream come true for the 22-year-old who is now set to represent the Lakers for the upcoming NBA Summer League.
This development was first reported by NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Shareef O’Neal has agreed to play in NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Another O’Neal big man in a Lakers uniform.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2022
Shareef took to Twitter to send a heartfelt message to the Lakers for helping him reach his NBA dream:
💜💛 THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY @Lakers ! pic.twitter.com/z0TeRVVGed
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) June 24, 2022
That's just adorable. Shareef was probably around 2 years old when this video was taken. At that time, his dad was still dominating the league with the Lakers. Needless to say, Shareef has been a lifelong fan of LA, and he's now come full circle now that he's signed with the purple and gold.
Techincally speaking, however, Shareef is still quite a ways away from actually making the team. Right now, he's going to be suiting up for the Lakers for the Summer League, and it remains to be seen if he's going to make the cut for the actual squad for next season. He has a golden opportunity in his hands right now, though, and at this point, this is all that Shareef O'Neal can ask for.
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