The son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef O’Neal has recently captured everyone’s attention. He has dazzled family and friends with his recent workout pictures and clips on Instagram. The 6’10 power forward plays for the NBA G league Ignite and is an integral part of his team.

O’Neal is working very hard on his game to get better at his craft. Shareef’s journey has not been a cakewalk as the 23-year-old was once forced to think about whether he should continue playing basketball or not. What happened with the young player that made him do so? Let’s find out

Shareef O’Neal won the toughest battle of his life

After his high school career, Shareef O’Neal was scouted as a four-star recruit and had big names like Arizona and UCLA, eager to have him. Shareef eventually signed with UCLA.

However, a piece of worrying news was soon discovered. In his first year at UCLA, O’Neal was diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery. The disease is so rare and fatal that it claims the lives of most of the people affected by it before age 20. Shareef was fortunate that he became aware of it beforehand and underwent surgery for it. However, the surgery impacted him.

Shareef, at the age of 18, had to learn how to walk again. Many would have given up on their dreams to play basketball after such kind of surgery, but Shareef had different plans. O’Neal, with his belief and the support of his family, bounced back. Shareef lost some of his explosiveness but is still a player who can dominate at his best. His recent flexing picture shows how hard he is working on his game.

READ MORE: Shaquille O’Neal’s Son and “Godbrother” Shareef Makes Mother Shaunie and Her New Husband Proud

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Family and friends react to Shareef’s pictures

O’Neal’s family and friends, along with his fans, have praised him for his ripped physique and his grind. Shareef’s mother, Shaunie has also commented on her son’s hard work. 

His mother commented “♥️♥️♥️♥️”

Let us also look at other comments coming from friends and fans.

One friend commented “Dog Work”

A fan wrote “Yesssuhhhh”

A friend wrote ” WORK”

Another friend wrote “all work no playyy”

WATCH THIS STORY:Proud Father Shaquille O’Neal Makes Sincere Admission on Son Shareef, Who Underwent Life-Threatening Surgery: “Whether He Does Make It Big Time or He Doesn’t..”

Shareef’s journey has been a hell of a challenge. The young player has shown a remarkable will and is putting in great effort to improve as a player.