Shareef O’Neal Shows Off His Father Shaq’s Surprisingly Smooth Dribbling Skills

Shaquille O’Neal was so dominant in his prime that he broke backboards. But breaking ankles? Most fans don’t associate the Big Diesel with that. The 7-footer’s dominance is often remembered to be a display of bully ball inside the paint.

But there were always shades of finesse in Shaq’s game. His son, Shareef O’Neal showed off those vignettes on his Instagram stories.

Throwback Hoops shared a video of Shaquille O’Neal from the 2002 NBA season on their Instagram, which gained a lot of traction among fans. In the clip, the Lakers big man can be seen hitting Jerome James with a lightning quick crossover to get to the rim for a one-handed jam.

The rare isolation play from Shaq caught many eyes, including his own. The four-time NBA champion reposted the clip to his Instagram stories. His son Shareef O’Neal followed suit shortly after.

The O’Neal family’s excitement to share the highlight is totally understandable. For a 300 pound man to execute a lightning quick crossover in isolation is a feat that should not be understated. The Big Diesel often doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his handling of the ball and quickness of feet on the court.

Long before Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, Shaq would bring the ball up the court as a center. It wasn’t well accepted at the time, so he reserved it for All-Star games.

“I just wanna show them that I can throw it between my legs like Jordan can do, and I can give a crossover dribble like [Tim] Hardaway can do,” O’Neal told Magic Johnson before the 1993 All-Star game.

Apart from his signature crossover, O’Neal has also dropped high quality dimes throughout his career. If he played in the modern era, Shaq could easily average over 5 assists with shooters flanking him as he drives into the paint.

Basketball history can be revisionist, so it makes sense for the 15-time All-Star to publicly make his case. But the Big Aristotle has also vouched for certain skills of his that didn’t reflect on the NBA hardwood.

When Shaquille O’Neal called himself the ‘Black Steph Curry’

If handles are not something you associate Shaq with then shooting certainly won’t be either. But in retirement, the four-time champion has frequently flexed his shot online, even comparing himself to The Chef, Stephen Curry.

The career 52% free-throw shooter has been sharing videos of himself shooting at the gym for a few years now. With every shot, O’Neal yells out ‘Steph Curry!’ After making a deep three once, the 7-footer had  proudly dubbed himself ‘The Black Steph Curry’.

Shaq ran with that name for so long that Steph’s mother, Sonya Curry, had to step in and say, “Hold up…. my son is Black… how about “Dark skinnedSteph!!!”

Regardless of what he boasts about, Shaquille O’Neal has had very clear intentions when it comes to his basketball legacy. The Lakers legend revealed it after winning his first NBA award as the Rookie of the Year. “When I retire & have children I can tell my son, ‘I was bad.'”

Well, Shareef clearly knows. And he’s proud to flaunt his dad’s skills too.