Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef apparently had a pre-draft workout out with the Miami Heat and offered thanks to the team for the opportunity.
The younger O’Neal declared for next Thursday’s draft after playing three seasons at the collegiate level. One of those seasons took place at the University of California, Los Angeles, which was followed by two years at Louisiana State University.
There’s no guarantee that the younger O’Neal will end up getting drafted by the Heat or any other team. That’s because he posted modest stats over his three years of collegiate play.
However, as the son of one of the NBA’s greatest centers ever, the younger O’Neal may end up getting selected late in the second and final round or simply signed as a free agent.
Any NBA team that does potentially add the younger O’Neal figures to have the luxury of being able to help him develop his talents slowly. That would likely mean time in the G League for the younger O’Neal, a 6-foot-10 forward, with the hope being that he’d eventually be able to deliver even a portion of the production his legendary father did over the course of his career.
Heat fans will always have a special place in their hearts for the elder O’Neal, who was acquired by the team in 2004. During his time with the organization, he was a key part of the starting lineup that helped the Heat win their first NBA title in 2006.
