Despite the fact that Shaquille O’Neal recently boasted that he’d turn Anthony Davis into BBQ chicken if the lanky big man tried to guard him in the post, he’s now apparently urging his teenage son Shareef O’Neal to study The Brow’s game. Via John Reid of NOLA.com:
Shaquille O'Neal said he's told his 15-year-old son, Shareef O'Neal, a rising prep star, to learn the game from watching Anthony Davis play.
— John Reid (@JohnReid64) September 18, 2015
At just 15, the 6-foot-8 Shareef is starting to make a name for himself as a high school prospect, a fact that his father apparently has mixed feelings about. After watching the Little Aristotle in action – that’s what we’re calling him now – it’s easy to see why he’s garnering so much attention for himself.
For a 15-year-old his size, he has a serviceable handle, promising agility and explosiveness, and surprisingly good court vision. He also has a little range on his jump shot (no word, however, on what his free-throw percentage is so far). With his size, body type, and burgeoning skill set, it makes sense that Shaq would recommend he study the Pelicans’ franchise cornerstone.
We know what you’re thinking: why wouldn’t Shaq recommend that he study his father’s game? That’s a reasonable question given Shaq’s dominance during his career, but Shareef doesn’t quite have his father’s size (yet), and in the pace-and space era of the modern NBA, a stretch-four with versatility is a hot commodity these days. It’s too early to tell anything at this point, but Shareef certainly has the potential for a career in basketball, and emulating a rising superstar like Davis couldn’t hurt his prospects.
(via John Reid and HoopmixtapeBlog)
