Shareef O’Neal is back on the basketball court at the returning Drew League in Los Angeles for the first time since sustaining a stress fracture in his foot in February, which prematurely ended his sophomore year at LSU.

Shareef, son of Shaq, is running the floor and skying for alley-oops from his teammates while appearing as robust and energized as ever. In his initial two weeks of action at St. John Bosco High School, the twenty-one-year-old forward had a number of memorable moments.

The instances of exceptional skill that Shareef exhibits are a preview of the potential that he ought to contribute to the Tigers during his junior year in Baton Rouge.

Shareef’s resilience in the face of this injury is commendable; however, it pales in comparison to his unwavering determination when he recovered from open-heart surgery, which compelled him to forego his inaugural collegiate season at UCLA on account of an anomalous coronary artery—one that his mother Shaunie characterized as “life-threatening.” In 2019-20, he appeared in thirteen games for the Bruins prior to transferring to the alma mater of his father the following season.

Shareef appeared in ten games for LSU during the 2020-21 season prior to sustaining the aforementioned foot injury.

There is no reason the Tigers cannot utilize Shareef more extensively in the 2021-22 season, provided he maintains his physical well-being and maintains a strong performance level in the Drew League.