Shaquille O’Neal’s Son Pays Tribute to Bryant Family Through Latest Tattoo

"He was like an uncle to me" O'Neal told TMZ

Shareef O’Neal, son of Shaquille O’Neal, has been pretty open on the topic of Kobe Bryant’s death and how it has been impacting him. Referring to Kobe as “uncle,” O’neal posted photos of DMs between the two men from the day of Kobe Bryant’s passing. Today, TMZ broke that Shareef O’Neal has gotten tattoos to pay tribute to both Kobe and his daughter Gianna—both of whom passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26th.

O’Neal shared with TMZ that Kobe was a mentor and both he and Gianna were family to him, coaching him in life and basketball. In his TMZ interview, O’Neal said, “I just plan on playing for him every time I play. I’m going to just do it for him, do it for the family, do it for the people that lost their lives.” Using social media as an outlet for his grief, O’Neal has been extremely open with his grieving process—regularly sharing his feelings about the death of his honorary family in long, moving captions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7y8yLig4zQ

The son of Shaquille O’Neal is following closely in his father’s footsteps, and even is considering attending his father’s alma mater, LSU. Currently attending UCLA, O’Neal missed his freshman season due to open-heart surgery, according to the LA Times. O’Neal simply went to the doctor one day, and was diagnosed with an anomalous coronary artery. Now, he’s returning to the court and ready to dominate once again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BveoQYZl8cL

Having Gianna and Kobe at his side, Shareef O’Neal seems to be the next unstoppable force on the court.