Shareef O'Neal reveals he developed his game after Rockets legend Tracy McGrady
Shareef O'Neal is one of the most-talked-about young prospects in the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2022 draft, O'Neal joined the G League Ignite in hopes of securing his spot on an NBA roster. Standing at 6'10", many believed that Shareef would boast many of the same skills as his father, Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. As it turns out, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Shareef is part of the next generation of players with a much more well-rounded game than those of his father's era. Although he plays the big-man role much like his dad, his skills are much more diverse.
During an interview with 2Hype, Shareef revealed that his dad made him spend plenty of time studying the greats of the game like Tracy McGrady. Shareef said he molded his game around the Rockets legend and developed a similar skillset.
"Tracy McGrady not gonna lie," Shareef said when asked who influenced his game the most. "My dad made me watch a lot of Trace McGrady growing up.
"You know he was tall, could shoot he really just got in his bag a lot of footwork stuff I've been working on lately. So people gonna see a lot of mid-range game I got working on."
Shareef O'Neal can be seen explaining the evolution of his game around the two-minute mark in the video below.
Shareef O’Neal’s development into an NBA prospect
After seeing limited playing time as a high school freshman, Shareef O'Neal had a breakout year in his sophomore season, proving he was an incredibly versatile player. After controversy surrounded his intentions to play for Arizona in college, O'Neal wound up playing for UCLA.
In his first season, Shareef O'Neal was diagnosed with a heart condition that ultimately required surgery. After sitting out an entire season, he showed flashes of brilliance during the offseason, when he played in the Drew League. After a mixed sophomore college season, Shareef transferred to LSU, where he sustained a foot injury that resulted in him playing just 10 games.
After a lackluster second season, he declared for the NBA draft, where he went undrafted before joining the LA Lakers Summer League team. After struggling during the Summer League games, he signed a contract to play in the NBA G League Ignite. Since then, fans have continued to speculate over Shareef O'Neal's future.
He's shown that he's capable of impacting the game on both ends, but it's still too early to declare whether or not he will make an NBA roster. With the 2022-23 NBA season underway, Shareef O'Neal would be hoping for a chance to make an impact with the Lakers. Of course, he would likely see limited playing time, if any, should he somehow find himself on the team's roster.