"He's a better shooter, better runner, better body... if he continues to work hard, he'll be okay" - Shaquille O'Neal on son Shareef and his future in the NBA
Shaquille O'Neal is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history. His eldest son, Shareef, is now trying to follow in his footsteps.
The LA Lakers legend recently gave an assessment of his son and his potential future in the NBA.
In an interview with The National, O'Neal was asked about his son's showing in the NBA 2K23 Summer League with the Lakers. Shareef also signed a contract with the NBA G-League Ignite worth six figures.
Shaq stated that Shareef was a better shooter and runner than him. He also praised Shareef's body for being better than his.
As for his possible NBA career, Shaq thinks that his son has to want it and develop a crazy passion for basketball.
"He's a better shooter, better runner, better body, but sometimes you need to be a little bit crazy to want this," O'Neal said. "A lot of guys can play basketball but you got to have that strong individual love for the game. I think if he continues to work hard, he'll be okay."
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Shareef decided to enter this year's NBA draft, which was not advised by his father. Shaq was not happy with his son's decision to try his luck in the draft. The 22-year-old O'Neal revealed his father's reaction to reporters after a pre-draft workout with the Lakers.
"We kind of bump heads about this process," Shareef said. "He wanted me to stay in school, I wanted to better myself through this. He knows I'm working out with teams, but I'm not going to lie, we ain't talked about this. I'm kind of just going through it.
"He didn't want me to do this, and I know he probably doesn't want me saying this, but sorry. We're both grown, we'll get past it."
Shaquille O'Neal says he taught Shareef to work hard
Shaquille O'Neal went viral last year when it was revealed that he told his kids that he's rich and not them. He has taught his children the value of hard work and how it will help them be successful.
In an interview with Croatia Week, Shaq explained that it's not right for his children to use his money and name for their personal gain. He wants his kids to have morals and ethics. However, he also doesn't expect his kids to be like him in terms of making random acts of kindness.
"I'm blessed to have a great big family," O'Neal said. "And it wouldn't be right for me to use my personal success in a frivolous way. I want to teach my children morals, ethics, determination, passion and everything else a parent wants a child to have.
"I can't give them everything I own and expect them to treat everything like me."