The Los Angeles Lakers were not able to eek out a win against the Charlotte Hornets during Sunday night’s Summer League game.
They went into double overtime and were taken down 89-86, which was a painful loss because the team was playing quite well until the very end.
Throughout the Summer League, a few potential LA stars have been getting a lot of attention – including Shareef O’Neal, son of a former Lakers player you may have heard of, Shaquille.
There has been a w hole lot of talk about O’Neal since he signed up with the Lakers, not all of it positive.
SHAREEF O'NEAL GOT UP 😤
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/prTNq23vBO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 11, 2022
But most of that talk was silenced on Sunday night as O’Neal took to the sky and played a lot like his dad.
With a little less than five minutes left in the first quarter, O’Neal received a pass from Scotty Pippen Jr. and really made the most of it.
The dunk he created was a rim-shaker, one that got the crowd going, and showed glimpses of his dad during his heyday.
Is O’Neal becoming a better player than people expected?
Oh Boy, O’Neal
There were quite a few detractors stating the Lakers should let O’Neal pass by.
His college career wasn’t sensational and he pales in comparison to his father, these people said.
It’s true that his collegiate output was lacking and of course he doesn’t surpass his dad, but O’Neal has been doing better than some expected.
On Sunday night, he only scored four points.
But he also racked up seven rebounds and a steal during his 15 minutes on the floor.
The young man is trying to use Summer League to his advantage and tweak and perfect his game.
He wants to prove that he does have something to bring to the table for LA and they should take a chance on him.
No one is sure what’s next for O’Neal but he is really trying to make these Summer League games count.
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