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Shaquille O'Neal's Son Makes Personal Admission to Angel Reese

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rolly Gacelo | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 11:32 PM ET

Shaquille O'Neal built an NBA career that only a few players can match, and naturally, his sons receive unsolicited comparisons. Shareef, his eldest, was the first to be thrust into the spotlight.

Shaq's firstborn followed a path similar to the one the Los Angeles Lakers took, although it wasn’t something his father forced him to do.

“My mom and dad never really forced us to play basketball or follow in their footsteps. They told us: Do what makes you happy, and if you’re going to do it, lock in," Shareef said in 2025 in an interview with Boardroom.

That was the advice, but Shareef still chose to pursue a basketball career. That’s when things became more difficult for him. He has since accepted that comparisons to his father — a four-time NBA champion, an MVP and widely regarded as the most dominant player ever — will never go away. However, he no longer feels pressure.

Shareef O'Neal plays for the Los Angeles Lakers during 2022 NBA Summer LeagueStephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

In an interview on WNBA star Angel Reese’s podcast, "Unapologetically Angel, Shareef opened up about when the pressure began to build. His father’s presence served as both a guide and a source of pressure.

One way Shaq tried to help him was by encouraging him to model his game after elite NBA scorers such as Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady.

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In another clip, Shareef said he learned to think independently.

"What people don't really know is that people don't know who I was until 15 years old. So, it was big majority of my life where I can go anywhere and nobody knew but once hoop mix tape all that stuff started coming around, that's when it started to change," Shareef said.

"That's when I have to find my own path, when I was 16, 17. It was pretty hard at first. I didn't know how get up as Shaq's son. Now that I'm older, I just kind of learn it. Do what I want. I kind of got that pretty quickly."

Shareef went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft but was signed by the Lakers for the Summer League. He joined the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League and he was there for only one month.

He is now working as a creative strategist for the Shaq brand.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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