As the world continues to mourn the loss of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, the impact he had on people remains profound as some have taken what they learned from him and apply it to their life on a daily basis. Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef O'Neal, is one of the last people in contact with Bryant before his helicopter accident and is embracing the crucial lesson he learned from his mentor.

TMZ Sports recently caught up with O'Neal in Los Angeles and asked the promising young basketball player about the biggest lesson he learned from the Lakers icon who won three NBA titles alongside his father in purple and gold.

“Always try hard,” O'Neal told TMZ. “Always try to work harder than everyone else because every day you take off there's always people trying to get better.

“So, he just told me to be the best I can be, I don't have to live up to my dad's name. I don't have to live up to anybody's name. Be the best I can be.”

O'Neal was texting with Bryant the morning of the tragic accident that ended the lives of nine people, including Kobe's daughter Gianna Bryant. Much like LeBron James, who passed Bryant on the NBA's all-time scoring list the night before the accident and also spoke with the Lakers legend before his passing, the 20-year-old will always have that memory and can turn tragedy into motivation for the rest of his life.

Shaq's son is trying to figure out what he wants to do moving forward after recently announcing that leaving UCLA to play elsewhere. There's a possibility he may follow in his father's footsteps with LSU becoming a potential destination for a transfer.

https://twitter.com/SSJreef/status/1223435211079323648

Although there's been some buzz due to this Twitter post, O'Neal remains undecided about his future.