Shareef O’Neal has seen the Lakers are their absolute best. Born months before the first of the Lakers three-straight titles in the early 2000s, he remembers going to games and championship parades as a kid, cheering on his father Shaq in his No. 34 jersey.
Those memories are what made him starstruck and speechless ahead of his predraft workout on Tuesday. But it came as a bittersweet moment, having returned to Los Angeles donning the purple and gold but without the guidance of his father during this whole process.
“I walked in today and I was kind of starstruck,” Shareef said.