“That Heart Surgery Really Messed with His Career”: Taller Than Most NBA Stars, Shaquille O’Neal’s Son Labelled “Baby Kevin Garnett” by Fans

Every sportsperson goes through a difficult injury phase in their career. But the most challenging thing is making a comeback after the recovery. Over the years, almost every NBA player has gone through one or more serious injuries in their career. For instance, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal went through an Achilles tendon injury during the last phase of his career. Similarly, Shaq’s son Shareef O’Neal went through heart surgery a few years ago and he is slowly making progress in the NBA G League following the recovery process. Meanwhile, a highlight reel of Shareef’s recent exploits on the court gained a lot of traction on social media, prompting fans to give their opinions on the budding star’s skillset.

Shareef O’Neal went through open-heart surgery in 2018 following irregularities in his heart function during his stint at UCLA. After a year-long recovery, he stepped on the hardwood to play in the Drew league in June 2019. Following his return, O’Neal went undrafted in the NBA draft for two consecutive years. Currently, he plays for G League Ignite.

Fans chime in with their opinions on Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef

In the comments section of an Instagram highlight reel of Shareef O’Neal’s recent highlights, fans left heaping praise for O’Neal in the comments. The video consisted of a gameplay compilation of O’Neal in the ongoing NBA G League. The post also carried a caption that read, “Shaq’s Son has continued to show flashes of his fluid jump shot, athleticism and defensive IQ.”  

The caption further praised O’Neal’s ability as a power forward and his guarding skills. It added, “O’Neal is a 6’10 solid power forward that has lots of untapped potential and the strength to belong in the NBA.” 

Read More – Shaquille O’Neal Urged Son Shareef to Give Up NBA Aspirations After Life Threatening Heart Surgery

The fans flooded the comments lauding the prodigy. One user said, “kay a baby Kevin Garnett lol his brother at TSU can hoop as well”. O’Neal is currently 6’10” tall, which is a pretty decent height for an NBA aspirant, considering the average height of NBA players is 6’6″. While some fans felt the heart surgery severely impacted his game, they appreciated his commitment to come back and deliver. Another user said, “That heart surgery really messed with his career but least he can keep hooping.” Following are some reactions from the fans.

“They must forgot my boy would’ve been a top pick b4 the surgery”

“Y’all forget bro had heart surgery, that’s not something you bounce back and just drop 30🤦🏾‍♂️ bro had to learn how to walk again”

“Skill set is avg at best. Hopefully he makes to the NBA.”

“If it wasn’t for him having surgery he is already doing this at the NBA level. It was always less about talent and more about health for him specifically.”

“Lakers need to pick him up on a 10 contact”

“That man should be in the NBA “

“Dude got potential.!!”

“Keep going young king”

“He just gettin back into the flow”

Shaq’s advice to Shareef after the surgery

Shareef O’Neal also wanted to get into the biggest basketball league in the country like his dad, But the surgery put a temporary bump in his way. After the surgery, Shareef expressed his wish to continue playing the ball, but Shaq urged him to give up on his dream. Shaq, in a podcast said, “‘I don’t want you doing nothing. Sit your a** down. Go to school. Get a master’s degree. Come around one of my companies. You don’t ever have to do anything.”

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However, Shareef O’Neal has proved that he is cut from a different cloth. He has proved everyone wrong with his talent and has also made his father proud.

Will Shareef O’Neal get his shot in the NBA? Let us know in the comments.