The NBA G-League Ignite, which gave Shareef O’Neal the opportunity to be closer to his NBA dreams, is playing its final few games. Shareef hasn’t played since 2022 but Shaquille O’Neal is keeping the connection thriving. He’s bringing smiles to kids’ faces while he’s at it. The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation has encouraged young athletes in different ways through the Boys and Girls Club.

Shaq’s charity has brought the G-League and the Boys and Girls Club closer in a fun way. On March 25, the G-League Ignite was playing against the South Bay Lakers in the Dollar Loan Center. At the game, The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation brought a 150 young members of the Boys and Girls Club as ‘anthem buddies’ for the players.

“We had a great time supporting the NBA G-League Ignite. We were able to invite 150 Boys and Girls Club members to enjoy the game with their families. A few of the Club members got to join the players on the court as their ‘Anthem Buddy.’ Thanks for having us, @gleagueignite!” the Shaq Foundation’s official Instagram page wrote along with glimpses of how it went for the little ‘buddies.’

LSU grad, Shareef O’Neal played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2022 NBA Summer League before signing a six-figure deal with the GLI. He was named to the Inaugural Next UP Game for the 2022-23 season. After averaging 5.6 points across a few games he played, he wasn’t on the court for most of 2023. He was instead staying involved with the GLI and also his dad’s foundation.

Shareef O’Neal follows his dad’s charitable path

In the time that he was not playing with NBA’s development team, Shareef was involved with Shaq’s philanthropic pursuits. He supported The Event, Shaq’s annual fundraiser that aids the Boys and Girls Club in October with his siblings.

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Shaq and Shareef were also involved in The Break, a documentary on the 2022 G-League. Pooh Jeter, who is on the Trail Blazers coaching staff, was on the series. He’s a close friend of Shareef’s who got his dad to gift the coach’s kids signed merch at Christmas.

It’s unknown how Shareef feels about the GLI coming to an end after the 2023-24 season. While he made friends and memories here, he has been focused on himself. He hinted at a return to the court shortly after the anniversary of his life-altering heart surgery in December 2023. He’s had a few modeling gigs and following DJ Diesel to his music events in recent months. Meanwhile, Shaq continues his good work through his foundation alongside his kids.

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