Shareef O’Neil, the son of the legend Shaq, is showing a great potential. 16-year-old youngster is followed now by the scouts of several colleges. He is one of the most talented high school players in the United States at the moment and he is not scared of being in the shadow of his dad. He thinks that he could become even better than him. But, there are not many similarities in the playing styles of Shaquille and Shareef. While Shaq was known for his physical dominance, Shareef prefers the position of point guard.
The teenager is playing his second season for Windward High school. In his very first season he averaged just 4 points per game, but now he is scoring at least 20 points per match. Shareef also plays well in defence and has a good vision for the game.
Despite he is just 16 years old, Shareef is already 203 cm. tall. He makes a great impression with his great athleticism and fast pace. Shareef O’Neil admits that he has to improve his play under the basket and he is training hard to do it. That’s why several colleges are interested in him, not because of his last name! And he is going to make the decision where to continue his career by himself:
“My father has never forced me to play basketball. He has always told me that I have to choose what to do. Well, there is a basketball tradition in our family and I chose to continue it,” two-meter teenager said.
Shareef is on the top of the lists of the UCLA, the USC and the LSU University (the place where his father started his career). Of course, Shaquille prefers his son to choose the LSU, but he will let Shareef make the decision.
“I spend much of the summer with my father every year. This might seem like a surprise, but he is familiar with the movements of the guards and taught me what to do in every single moment. He is a good teacher,” the young O’Neill said.
The talented teenager said also that when Shaq appears to watch him play, the attention is immediately attracted to the legend. Shareef wants people to talk about him, not because Shaquille is his father, but because of his skills on the pitch.
16-year-old teenager won’t make the crucial decision for his career until his senior year in the high school. However, whatever college he picks, Shareef is going to be a good basketball player. But the question is: Can he be the next big NBA star? The only thing he needs to do is not staying in the shadow of his father.