The NBA Summer League season has ended for the Los Angeles Lakers after a victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the Las Vegas finale. A 3-2 record for the Purple and Gold came up short for consideration in the Summer League championship, but there are many positives to take away from the team’s young core.
One of those positive factors is the development of former LSU big man Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA Hall of Famer and Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal. After going undrafted, the 22-year-old center answered the call to showcase his talent during the Summer League with the team his father won three championships with.
O’Neal averaged 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in four games for the Lakers Summer League squad. Now that his first ever NBA Summer League experience is finished, O’Neal took to Twitter to thank the Lakers for an opportunity of his lifetime:
Thank you LAKERS for the opportunity!????❤️ thank everyone who supported too??❤️
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) July 17, 2022
The path to the NBA spotlight was filled with hills and valleys for O’Neal. After undergoing open heart surgery during his underclassmen years in college and battling foot injuries in 2020 and 2021, the perseverance O’Neal has shown to the world is inspiring for anybody who is dealing with setbacks from their goals.
Throughout the Summer League season, O’Neal was able to get a taste of what the NBA competition is like on both ends of the floor. With his appreciation for the Lakers during the entire run, the good spirit and work ethic of O’Neal is something NBA teams may want to value when considering two-way contracts and G-League roster spots. Regardless, he is looking forward to whatever is next:
Man I’m so proud ! Can’t wait to see where the journey takes me! One step at a time ?? awesome experience
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) July 17, 2022
The Laker faithful developed a liking for the 6-foot-11-inch big man and the hopefully relationship between O’Neal and L.A. is not complete. A possibility to stay with the Lakers brand and play for the South Bay Lakers can help O’Neal fine tune his skills as a young traditional big man in the NBA.
Like his father, O’Neal has the natural abilities to excel as a rising star in the league. With this Summer League experience under his belt, the progress he takes from here will be exciting to see for all his supporters and the basketball community to take part in.
LeBron Is Consumed With A ‘Win-Or-Bust Mindset’
Part of what makes great players great is the obsessive mindset to win and be satisfied with nothing else. Lakers star LeBron James described his competitive mentality in the latest episode of “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”
After two consecutive losing seasons with the Lakers, the four-time NBA champion is looking to lead the team to a bounce-back season that competes for a shot at an 18th championship for the Lakers franchise.
There are a lot of puzzle pieces to be put together in order for L.A. to go back to the winning culture Laker fans all know and love, but the mindset James has established has set the tone for the current and incoming players to get ready to compete at the highest level.
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