UCLA's Shareef O'Neal tosses a basketball as he watches warmups before an NCAA college basketball game against Presbyterian, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, in Los Angeles. O'Neal is the son of NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)Michael Owen Baker/Associated Press

Shaquille O'Neal's Son Shareef Recovering After Undergoing Heart Surgery

Kyle Newport

Dec 13, 2018

Shareef O'Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, underwent heart surgery Thursday.

It was reported back in September that the UCLA Bruins freshman would miss the entire 2018-19 season after doctors "found a medical issue dealing with [his] heart." He let the world know Wednesday that Thursday was the day he would be operated on.

Early on Thursday, Shaunie O'Neal, Shareef's mother, shared a photo from the hospital:

TOP NEWS

Shareef himself later provided an update:

The 6'9", 205-pound O'Neal was rated as a 4-star prospect and No. 41 overall player in the 2018 freshman class, per 247Sports. He intends to play for UCLA next season.