On the occasion of his son Shareef O Neal’s birthday, father Shaquille O’Neal opened the vault and shared some throwback photos of him on Instagram. Shaq and Shaunie Henderson’s son Shareef was born eleven days into the 21st century, and the elated father had a blast from the past with the former G League player’s mother also in the frame.
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In his Instagram post, Shaq wrote,
“Happy birthday @shareefoneal so proud of you my man. we bout to do big things SON”.
The post had a slideshow that featured several photos of Shaq with his adorable little son. In most of the photos, Shareef is a toddler and is in the lap of the Lakers legend. In one of the photos, where the father-son duo is wearing a white suit, Shareef looks like a child version of his father. The facial structure and the eye movement are so similar that it feels like he is identical to his father.
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Upon viewing this heart-warming post, the 24-year-old appreciated the love shown by his adoring father. Shareef O’Neal wrote, “Love you pops! my dawg !” in the comments. During this brief exchange, the affection between the parent and the child is indeed heartwarming.
The father has seen his young son already overcome various hurdles that can sink the heart of any parent. He has also been by his son’s side as he overcame a life-threatening medical condition.
Shaquille O’Neal supported Shareef during his surgery
Amidst much fanfare and anticipation, a four-star recruit, Shareef signed with the UCLA Bruins in 2018. However, his college career got off to a rocky start as the UCLA medical staff diagnosed a congenital heart defect. Due to that condition, he had to wear a heart monitor while engaging in practice. In December 2018, he underwent heart surgery to avoid further complications.
In the build-up to the surgery, Shaq was going through an emotional rollercoaster. At the same time, he wanted to make his son ready for the big operation. During The Big Podcast with Nischelle Turner and Jamal Crawford, the big man revealed how he reacted in the wake of the surgery. Shaq declared,
“I said, bro, when you[Shareef] wake up, I’m going to be the first mother *** you see. Trust me.”
But what he said afterward summed up the passion he has for his kid. If the surgery didn’t go right, the sentimental father would have torn the world asunder and would have joined his son in his next life.
“If you don’t wake up, I’m coming right behind you because I am killing everybody. They’re going to kill me because I’m going to be one of the most notorious serial killers. And we’re going to be in heaven or hell together,” declared the passionate father.
Thankfully, the surgery was a success and the power forward even went on to have a three-year college career. He also got to play for his dad’s former team Lakers during the 2022 Summer League and had a brief G League Career. At any rate, the whole ordeal showcased how the former Lakers Center can go above and beyond for his kids.
