Shareef O'Neal, son of future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, showed that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree this week after a mixtape of his recent performance with a youth all-star team in Houston gathered more than 1 million views on YouTube.
The younger O'Neal, a freshman at Los Angeles' Windward High School who already stands a staggering 6-foot-8-inches tall, showed off his ability to handle the basketball like a guard, hit three-point shots, and dunk. The reel was recorded over the weekend when O'Neal's California Supreme took part in the 2015 Big Cup youth tournament in Houston.
"The versatile 6-foot-8 wing appears to be equipped with an expanding toolbox of skills — judging by his outside touch, he might be a better free throw shooter than his pops — which make him a nightmare
matchup for his peers," ESPN's David Auguste wrote. "Oh, and to make matters worse, 'Medium Diesel' has some of his dad's physical presence on the block and penchant for two-handed crams to boot. That size and those genes — yeah, have fun trying to guard that, kids."
Basketball fans will point out that the younger O'Neal's outside shooting touch and ability to pass like a smaller player were skills his father, a 15-time NBA All-Star and former league MVP, never had.
"Shareef showed off by throwing down a few thunderous dunks, grabbing steals in the open court, launching outlet passes, and
shooting three-pointers," Sporting News noted. "Honestly, it doesn't look like there's anything he can't do, though we haven't seen his free-throw shooting."
Of course Shareef O'Neal has big family basketball shoes to fill, since his father, who is eligible for the basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, won four NBA titles to go with his illustrious college and pro careers.
Many on social media were blown away by the mixtape of Shareef O'Neal.