Like Father, Like Son

Athlete Feature: Shareef O’Neal

By Finn Rice|Updated on July 6, 2023 (originally published on August 5, 2022)

Shareef O'Neal, the current Louisiana State Basketball star and son of Shaquille O'Neal, has been a basketball prodigy since he was a kid, but it was not an easy journey.

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Before he transferred to LSU, Shareef played for the UCLA Bruins. During the beginning of his freshman year, he was told he needed heart surgery or his chances at life were very slim. On December 13, 2018, the young basketball star underwent heart surgery. As many people were unsure if he would continue his basketball career, Shareef was motivated to return to the court. After a long couple of months, he was fully recovered in March of 2019. After averaging 2.2 point, 2.9 rebounds, and 10.2 minutes per game, Shareef decided to transfer to LSU the following season, following in his fathers footsteps.