Shareef O'Neal, Shaq's son, says he plans to transfer from UCLA

ByJeff Borzello ESPN logo
Thursday, January 23, 2020

UCLA redshirt freshman Shareef O'Neal, the son of Shaquille O'Neal, is transferring from the school.



"After meeting with Shareef on Tuesday, he told me that he plans to transfer," Bruins coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. "We fully support his decision and are wishing him all the best."



Shareef O'Neal also made an announcement on Twitter.



"My parents have always taught me that transparency is the best form of communication. It is in this spirit that I announced today my departure from the University of California Los Angeles," O'Neal wrote. "A part of me will always be at UCLA figuratively and literally. I'm looking forward to the next chapter, where that maybe."



O'Neal committed to UCLA in February 2018, days after he decommitted from Arizona. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school, ranked No. 32 in the ESPN 100 for the 2018 class.



The 6-foot-9 O'Neal sat out his first season at UCLA after being diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery, and underwent open-heart surgery to correct the issue. He was cleared to return to the court last March.



O'Neal played a reserve role for the Bruins this season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes off the bench.

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