Shareef O’Neal will miss out the 2018-19 UCLA season after he was diagnosed with a heart problem on Friday.
Son to NBA’s Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, the teenager will undergo surgery operation that will cost him the rest of the season. The UCLA men’s basketball program issued a statement confirming the same.
“Freshman Shareef O’Neal will be sidelined for the 2018-19 season. He will remain enrolled in class and on the men’s basketball team during this redshirt year,” the statement read, “The UCLA men’s basketball program completely supports Shareef and his family as he gets this issue resolved.”
Speaking to TMZ, the freshman said the problem was diagnosed during a routine check. He expressed gratitude the issue was discovered early and as such he could get back to basketball within a year.
“Thank God the UCLA medical staff caught it early,” O’Neal said. “During rehab, I’ll be attending my class and being a normal student…. I’ll be back in no time.”
A four-star recruit, the UCLA player was one of the program’s top 100 recruits in the 2018 class. In high school, the 18-year old averaged 27.6 points and 17.3 rebounds during his senior year.
