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Shaqir O'Neal hoped for opportunity, found a home with FAMU basketball: 'I love this place.'
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- Shaqir O'Neal hoped for opportunity, found a home with FAMU basketball: 'I love this place.'
Shaqir O'Neal wants to be known for more than just being the son of Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal .
So, the younger O'Neal is carving his path in his first year on Florida A&M's men's basketball team.
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After transferring to FAMU from Texas Southern, the redshirt junior has immediately impacted the Rattlers.
O'Neal averages 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He's FAMU's third-leading scorer, last tallying 20 points in the Rattlers' 130-58 win over Trinity College on Dec. 6.
"I want to build a name for myself in Tallahassee. I love this place," O'Neal told the Tallahassee Democrat in a one-on-one interview.
"I'm not going to let anybody down. I want to make FAMU proud."
Prior to FAMU, the 6-foot-8 forward saw minimal playing time in his two seasons with fellow Southwestern Athletic Conference school Texas Southern, averaging 1.6 points per game.
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However, O'Neal did help the Tigers win the 2022 and 2023 SWAC Championships.
O'Neal, 21, entered the NCAA Transfer Portal following the 2023-2024 season. He said he had no interest from other teams due to his unimpressive statistics at Texas Southern.
That was until first-year FAMU head coach Patrick Crarey II inquired with Shaquille O'Neal and Shareef O'Neal (Shaqir's older brother) about Shaqir joining his inaugural Rattlers roster.
"I entered the portal to bet on myself. I had bad stats, averaged one point a game, and had no other interest," O'Neal said. "Coach Pat ran into my dad and brother and said he's willing to take a chance on me. He came and checked me out during the summer. Coach Pat gave me an opportunity."
Shaqir O'Neal played college basketball for the Texas Southern Tigers from 2021 to 2024. He transferred to join the Florida A&M Rattlers on July 9 ahead of his redshirt sophomore season.
Crarey got the O'Neal family's blessing and spoke with Shaqir's former coach at Texas Southern, Johnny Jones.
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From there, Crarey knew he had added a gem to the team.
"He's very green in terms of just getting into the game to play a lot," Crarey said of O'Neal. "He's going to be good. I don't know if anybody on this team works as hard as he does outside practice. I'm proud of him and the things he's done early in the season."
FAMU has already made an impact on Shaqir O'Neal
O'Neal is originally from Los Angeles, dating back to his father's final year playing for the Lakers, where he won three NBA titles as part of the renowned 'Kobe and Shaq' duo.
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O'Neal followed his father's career stops to Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston.
However, he's also been in tune with FAMU and HBCUs. And what he loves the most is that he gets treated like everyone else on campus and FAMU basketball's roster.
"I always knew about FAMU. I love the school," O'Neal said. "I don't regret my decision at all. The fan base here is amazing. I love my teammates. The coaches hold me accountable and gave me a chance, which many places didn't. That's all I could ask for."
O'Neal is home.
The 'FAMULY' has welcomed him with open arms to The Highest of Seven Hills as he completes his college basketball career and bachelor's degree.
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After this season, O'Neal will remain on FAMU's roster for one more season. He will graduate with his Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in Summer 2025.
It's fair to assume Shaq Diesel will appear on FAMU's campus before O'Neal departs.
"Everyone here is a family. Even my professors would help me with school and basketball," O'Neal said. "It's just the love you can get from everyone walking around campus.
"It's something you can't experience at a regular school," O'Neal added.
'Pressure is a privilege': Shaqir O'Neal in the spotlight with FAMU basketball
O'Neal knows what comes with being the bloodline of the most dominant athlete in NBA history.
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So, instead of running from the shine, he embraces it.
"Pressure is a privilege. I love it. I like that attention," O'Neal said. "I put in the work, so I go out there and show it. I'd rather have a lot of pressure than no pressure."
Regardless of his family tree, O'Neal worked to ultimately land an opportunity at the top public HBCU and its basketball team.
"He's had an opportunity here," Crarey said. "He's getting better. Shaqir plays hard. It's tough being a superstar kid. People think you're silver-spooned. But him and [Jordan Chatman] play harder than anybody else on this team."
Playing hard has transformed O'Neal into a walking highlight reel.
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On Nov. 23, he was featured in ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 plays, landing the No. 9 spot for his tomahawk dunk over a Trinity Baptist College defender.
"It felt amazing because you don't see many HBCUs on SportsCenter. It was a dream come true," O'Neal said. "That was my first time being on TV basketball-related."
Shaqir O'Neal hopes to help FAMU basketball return to prominence
Nov 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida A&M Rattlers forward Shaqir O'Neal (8) dribbles the ball past Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
FAMU men's basketball (3-5) returns to the court on Tuesday at the Utah Utes (7-2), then Brigham Young (8-2) on Friday.
"We've played against a lot of high majors," O'Neal said. "It's shocked us, but we've been getting better every game and practice."
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FAMU basketball has been down on its luck in recent years.
The Rattlers have not participated in postseason play since 2021, when they appeared in the SWAC Tournament.
SWAC voters predicted FAMU to finish 11 of 12th this season , meaning the Rattlers were picked to miss the league's 10-team postseason tournament alongside Mississippi Valley State.
FAMU basketball, in Crarey's first year, aims to dispel the prediction and shift the narrative.
"We're trying to turn this whole thing around," O'Neal said. "All the coaches have made it clear that we were ranked at the bottom. So, no matter how many games we win or what we do, we're reminded about that every day."
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O'Neal has been a part of the NCAA Tournament twice to coincide with Texas Southern's last two SWAC title wins. Now, he wants FAMU to experience that.
The Rattlers last went to the national tournament in 2007.
"My goal is to win the SWAC championship and get to the tournament. FAMU hasn't been to the March Madness in a minute," O'Neal said. "I want to help change many of my teammate's lives. I know getting to the tournament will do that. I know we can. It'll bring us close together."
Florida A&M Men's Basketball Games This Week
Tuesday, Dec. 17: at Utah, 9 p.m. Eastern Time ― ESPN Plus
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Friday, Dec. 20: at Brigham Young, 9 p.m. Eastern Time ― ESPN Plus
Florida A&M Women's Basketball Games This Week
Friday, Dec. 20: at Samford, 7 p.m. Eastern Time ― ESPN Plus
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaq, is finding his way on FAMU basketball team
