Feb 26, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers forward Shareef O’Neal (24) looks on during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
NBABy Matt Clapp on

Shortly after the 2022 NBA Draft ended on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers reached agreements with the sons of NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Scottie Pippen.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Shareef O’Neal has agreed to play in the NBA Summer League with the Lakers. That’s the same franchise Shaq won three championships and NBA Finals MVPs with.

O’Neal, 6’10”, worked out for the Lakers in recent days. He began his college basketball career at UCLA, where he redshirted in his first year due to heart surgery. He played one season at UCLA (2019-20) before transferring to LSU, where he spent the last two seasons. In the 2021-22 season, O’Neal averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZhyCE9LmOM

Shareef recently admitted that he butted heads with Shaq over the decision to go pro. The 22-year-old battled health issues throughout his collegiate career and didn’t put up big numbers. His father wanted him to stay in school, but he ultimately decided to go pro.

As for the other Hall of Famer’s son, Charania reports that the Lakers have agreed to a two-day deal with Scotty Pippen Jr.

Pippen, 6’3″, was one of the top scorers in the country over the last two seasons at Vanderbilt, averaging over 20 points per game each season. He also dished out more than four assists per game over the last two seasons.

So, the Lakers will certainly be an interesting Summer League squad to follow with O’Neal and Pippen in the mix.

Here’s a look at how the basketball world is reacting to O’Neal and Pippen agreeing to deals with the Lakers:

https://twitter.com/teamziller/status/1540193045764747265

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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