Lakers Star Shareef O’Neal, Who Once Received a Harsh Reality Check From Father Shaquille O’Neal, Took Up Basketball After One Big Failure

Shareef O’Neal, the eldest son of Shaquille O’Neal, has recently been recruited by the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA Summer League where he will start his arduous and winding journey to enter the NBA. However, the 22-year-old hooper didn’t always want to be a basketball player. But a disappointing game in his early days and a reality check from his father, Shaquille O’Neal, prompted him to take up basketball as a career.

Shaquille O’Neal is arguably one of the greatest basketball players to walk on the earth’s surface. As it turns out, the Big Diesel’s dominance on the basketball court was influenced by the strict discipline his father instilled in him. Therefore, Shaq tries to impart the same wisdom to his kids.

As a result, the Lakers legend is often a little harsh on his sons and daughters during practice sessions. He makes sure to help them realize that making it into the NBA is not an easy task. In fact, Shareef O’Neal knows all too well the harshness of his father’s practice sessions.

Shareef O’Neal took up basketball after a failure in middle school

Shareef O’Neal didn’t have a passion for basketball, despite being Shaquille O’Neal‘s son. In fact, he had a passion for skateboarding as a child.

However, a disappointing result in a middle school amateur athletic union game completely transformed him. As it turns out, it lit a fire in him to become a successful hooper. In fact, he started training seriously at the age of 13.

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Soon, he developed the ability to dunk the basketball. It didn’t take much longer for him to desire to be better than his father.

Shaquille O’Neal calls Shareef Giannis with a jump shot

Shaquille O’Neal called Shareef O’Neal Giannis Antetokounmpo with a jump shot in his podcast a while ago. “What people don’t know,” Shaq said. “I have a Giannis with a jump shot.”

That’s high praise coming from a tough parent like Shaquille O’Neal. In other words, Shareef’s arduous gym sessions with his father have finally paid off. However, the former LSU player still has a long way to go to make it into the NBA.

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Do you think Shareef could make it into the NBA? Comment down below.