Former UCLA Bruin Shareef O’Neal headed to Louisiana State

Shareef O’Neal, who left UCLA in January after averaging 2.2 points in 13 games, told Sports Illustrated on Friday that he was headed to Louisiana State, his father Shaquille’s alma mater, during an interview in Chicago as part of the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

Shareef O’Neal was a bit player for the Bruins this season after UCLA doctors performed a life-saving operation to correct a heart defect that forced him to sit out the 2018-19 season. The redshirt freshman announced his departure on Twitter last month after he did not play during his team’s victory over California.

Shareef O’Neal, who has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram, posted photos of himself in an LSU uniform in front of a massive tiger head earlier this month. He told SI that his decision was a “done deal,” bringing the Tigers a player who had averaged 2.9 rebounds while averaging 10.2 minutes per game for the rebuilding Bruins.

Shaquille O’Neal played three seasons at LSU before becoming a Lakers legend and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee during a 19-season NBA career in which he won four championships.

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