Shareef O'Neal turned some heads in Summer League while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shareef O'Neal is on a quest to continue playing basketball on the greatest stage. He wants to show that he has what it takes to thrive in the NBA.
A few years ago, the 6'10 O'Neal seemed to be on pace to compete for a National Championship with one of the nation's top collegiate basketball programs. He was on track to being one of the top amateur talents in the nation. He may not have been the prospect Lakers great Shaquille O'Neal was, but he could still hack it.
When he committed to the Arizona Wildcats, however, the pay-for-play controversy broke out. That led to a number of decommitments from the school. Shareef was among them. He then made the decision to transfer his skills to the UCLA Bruins.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wsaZIZrrM0YHuxwMRJN2Z?si=891136084af34d8e
Not long after, Shareef faced his toughest challenge to date. He had a right aberrant coronary artery that required open-heart surgery. That deprived him of a year of competitive sports while he was in recovery. It prevented him from finally beginning his university career.
He eventually made a comeback to the court for the Bruins as a freshman. Shareef played a total of just 132 minutes over 13 games, though.
He again made the decision to transfer at the end of that season. This time, he moved in the direction of LSU, the alma mater of his father.
Shareef's two seasons as a Tiger were relatively uneventful as he fell off top prospect lists and was limited by foot injuries. He averaged just 2.8 points in 11.4 minutes per game over the course of his two LSU seasons. It was supposed to be an opportunity for a fairy tale turnaround, but it sank his draft stock instead.
Instead of moving to yet another program, Shareef chose to turn pro by entering the 2022 Draft.
It was a very different route from the one Shaq nearly three decades ago. In his time, Shaq did not do any pre-draft workouts. He just got straight on the Orlando Magic after his stint with LSU.
Shareef went undrafted this year, but the Los Angeles Lakers decided to continue their support of the O'Neal legacy by offering him a spot on their Summer League roster.
Thank you LAKERS for the opportunity!🤞🏽🤞🏽❤️ thank everyone who supported too🤞🏽❤️
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) July 17, 2022
Much like his performance in the US NCAA, Shareef's performance at Summer League for the Lakers didn't exactly sizzle. In little over 19 minutes of action over two California Classic games, Shareef recorded 9 points and 7 rebounds. It was not much better in Las Vegas, where he played around 12.2 minutes per game, averaging 4.3 points and 4 boards.
According to scouts, Shareef resembled a basketball average joe — at best. In his worst moments, though, he demonstrated an inability to handle the tempo and brutality of professional basketball.
And yet, remember that this is a player who has just recently undergone open-heart surgery. Of course, things will be tough to start.
However, Shareef displayed flashes of the athleticism that once put him in the top five on draft boards and all over highlight videos as an amateur.
To his credit, Shareef is taking it all in stride.
“I for sure have gotten more reps than I have since high school, you know, in college I didn’t get too many reps but here it’s a learning experience,” he said after one of his Summer League games. “They throw guys out there to learn and I’m learning a lot. I just can’t wait to see what the future holds but got to take it one day at a time.”
Despite the fact that Shareef's contract with the Lakers expires after Summer League, it's not impossible for him to find an opportunity to play in the big leagues at some point.
https://twitter.com/ssjreef/status/1548577009604800513?s=21&t=UM-ySaMwiBXuQ-FLq7fQ2w
Observers anticipate that the Lakers will grant Shareef a berth on their South Bay team for the upcoming NBA G League season. Sure, much of it has to do with the name appearing on the back of his jersey, but don't forget that Shareef has size, length, and skill, too. He just needs more sharpening. Shareef has the ability to use the remarkable athleticism he has always possessed to create a meaningful impact for any team at any level.
His collection of physical gifts may be at least in part due to his father, but going forward, only Shareef O'Neal himself can materialize the basketball ambitions he openly hopes to one day realize.
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