LSU legacy Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaq, transfers to Florida A&M

Former Texas Southern forward Shaqir O’Neal, the son of NBA and college hoops legend Shaquille O’Neal, has found a new home after entering the transfer portal this offseason.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, O’Neal will play for Florida A&M during the upcoming 2024-25 basketball season. Here was their report on that news Tuesday:

“The son of basketball royalty is coming to The Highest of Seven Hills. On Monday, Florida A&M’s announced that Shaqir O’Neal, son of Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal, has signed to play men’s basketball for the Rattlers.”

Florida A&M also provides some family ties for Shaqir O’Neal, as The Democrat includes a relative who was once a student for the Rattlers: “His aunt, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, is an FAMU alumna who graduated with a degree in business administration.”

Unfortunately, the article notes that Harrison-Jex passed away in October 2019 after a three-year battle with cancer. But her nephew, O’Neal, will honor Harrison-Jax by representing the same school she graduated from.

At Texas Southern, O’Neal played two year, starting one game in each season while posting averages of 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 2024 for the Tigers. As a rising junior, he’s now going to give a different SWAC team a try.

Prior to his collegiate career, Shaqir O’Neal spent his high school years attending Union Grove High School in McDonough (GA). He was rated a three-star prospect by a couple of recruiting outlets but was ultimately unranked according to the On3 Industry Rankings

Additionally, Shaqir O’Neal’s older brother, Shareef O’Neal, also played college basketball and even spent some time in Baton Rouge at his father’s former school, playing for the Tigers from 2020-2022 after starting his collegiate career with the UCLA Bruins.

Shareef O’Neal decided to turn pro after the 2022 season but was not picked during the ’22 NBA Draft. However, he has stuck around and played in the NBA G League since then. In fact, he was even named to the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.