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Reaching the NBA is a dream that many high school basketball players strive for. Aspiring athletes often try their luck attending a Division 1 college in hopes of attracting interest from the NBA. Some athletes are able to make that dream a reality, but most will finish their college careers undrafted. That said, Shareef O’Neal aspires to be an exception.
It’s no secret that Shareef longed to follow in the footsteps of his father Shaquille O’Neal. After all, Shaq is considered an NBA legend. However, given Shareef’s ability on the court and his stats, fans are confident that his NBA dreams will be short-lived.
So, will Shareef O’Neal be drafted? Here’s everything we know.
Source : Getty Images
Shaquille et Shareef O’Neal
Shareef O’Neal’s odds of being drafted into the NBA are 50/50.
Truth be told, there’s no clear indication whether or not Shareef will be drafted to the NBA. For one thing, Shareef is Shaq’s son, which obviously works in his favor. However, Shareef’s basketball journey hasn’t been ideal.
According to ESPN, the 22-year-old suffered ankle and foot injuries during his final two seasons as an LSU baller. Not to mention that Shareef had to undergo open-heart surgery during his freshman year of college, which caused Shareef to miss his freshman year at UCLA.
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Also, if you consider Shareef’s stats, his chances of being drafted don’t look very promising. For starters, Shareef averaged just 2.6 points per game during his college career and played a total of 37 games at UCLA and LSU. So it’s easy to see why sports fans aren’t sure Shareef will be drafted.
Fans were also questioning Shareef’s NBA Draft prospects after a mix-up. According to sports journalist Shams Charania, an earlier list of NBA Drafts withdrawals mistakenly mentioned Shareef – leading fans to believe his NBA hopes had been dashed. However, Shareef is still in the running to be drafted.
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Shareef recently shared that Shaq wasn’t happy the LSU junior entered the NBA draft.
Dad knows best! ESPN reports that the LSU baller participated in a pre-draft workout with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. However, Shareef shared during a video press conference that Shaq was less than happy with his NBA Draft decision.
“We kind of bump into that process,” Shareef said at the conference. “He wanted me to stay in school. I wanted to improve myself through it. He knows that I work with teams. But I’m not going to lie, we didn’t talk about it. I’m kinda tight. He didn’t do any training sessions before the draft, he just went straight into the team. [The Orlando Magic] – so it’s a different grind.
SHAQ’s son Shareef Oneal went to Lakers pre-draft practice without his dad knowing ???? pic.twitter.com/LBYyoQ7DXe
— 2Cool2Blog (@2cooI2blog) June 21, 2022
Most people would take the advice of an NBA legend — especially if it’s their dad — but Shareef is committed to doing things on his own terms.
“Sucks he doesn’t like the idea, but I’m a grown man, I’m 22, I can make my own decisions,” Shareef added. “It was right in front of my face. I’m not backing down from that. I’ll go get him if I see him. This is how I am built.
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We wish Shareef O’Neal the best for the 2022 NBA Draft.
The 2022 NBA Draft is scheduled to air June 23, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC and ESPN.
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One Response
Should have listened to his dad. His dad knows what he’s saying. Yes you are grown. However, honestly speaking, just acting like a brat. You don’t score more than 3 points a game and you are prone to injuries and unhealthy spans. You only got to work out with teams because of respect of your dad’s name not because of your skill. It’s irony, he thinks he got in on his own merit wants to make it own his own. He is sadly mistaken, actually riding the name. I remember Shaq saying that his money is his money. Not theirs, tells me that he wants to prove something but will fall on his face. I write this and 49 picks have been made at this point. 10 more and all this for nothing. Listen to your dad.