Shaquille O'Neal, from left, and his sons Shareef O'Neal and Shaqir O'Neal arrive at the NBA Awards on Monday, June 25, 2018, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)Richard Shotwell/Associated Press

Shaq Says Son Shareef O'Neal Could Work Out in 4-5 Months After Heart Surgery

Kyle Newport

Dec 24, 2018

UCLA Bruins freshman Shareef O'Neal will miss the 2018-19 season after undergoing heart surgery in December, but it won't be too long before he returns to the court.

Shareef's father, basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, told TMZ Sports on Monday that while his son's overall health is the top priority, the 6'9", 215-pound forward should be able to start working out again in four to five months:

TOP NEWS

TMZ Sports reported in September that Shareef would miss the upcoming season after doctors "found a medical issue dealing with [his] heart" during a routine checkup. That led to an operation, which took place on Dec. 13:

O'Neal, rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports, tweeted in November that he intends to play for UCLA next season.