UCLA freshman Shareef O'Neal, the son of Hall of Fame big man Shaquille O'Neal, shared Thursday on his social media account that he is on the road to recovery after undergoing a procedure on his heart.
O'Neal, who signed with the UCLA Bruins as part of their sixth-ranked 2018 recruiting class, has yet to play at the college level after doctors discovered he had a heart problem before the season began. He's expected to miss all of the 2018-19 season.
I made it,Thank you for all the love and support! I really appreciate all your thoughts and prayers, that’s what helped me through this surgery. I’m on the road to recovery, and I’ll be back soon...better than ever.
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) December 14, 2018
His Words, typed by Mimi oneal ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yPu2js7M2f
O'Neal was the second-highest ranked commitment for the Bruins in their last recruiting cycle. A four-star power forward, O'Neal was expected to make an early impact for the Bruins. However in September just before the season, TMZ Sports reported O'Neal underwent a routine checkup that revealed his medical issue.
With O'Neal's impressive pedigree and obvious talents, he garnered scholarship offers from Arizona, Baylor, Cal, Georgetown and others before eventually signing with the Bruins. O'Neal says he expects to take a medical redshirt this season and return to the Bruins team next season.
