Shareef O'Neal: He’s Got Game
By Erik Woods
(This is part one in a series of articles featuring Shareef O'Neal)
What should the reader know about Shareef O’Neal? He's got mad game, especially as a person. Yes, the scouting report is right: tremendous person and baller, "As a friend, he's a real one to every and all."
As I walk by the security guard at Crossroads High School and tell him, "Here to see Shareef." "Cool kid" the guard tells me. Yep, "Dope reps dope I tell him."
You sit and hang with this youngster and it's apparent how down to earth he is by his mannerisms: firm handshake, eye contact, low key demeanor.
But my whole time rapping with him, we laugh, share; he's a blast to talk to. Yes, he's "a real one" to be sure.
I ask Shareef, how's the fam? "They're good.” he replies. To know Shareef (his friends call him "Reef") you realize his family is his world. He lives for them, they live for him.
Our interview is informal because Reef puts you at ease when you talk to him, he has this subtle calmness that makes you feel like you've known him a long time.
He's like that with "every and all," because you can tell he's been raised to be an "articulate gentleman", steady and sure, someone "pure of heart."
So I say, "I just met your sister Mimi, she seems so nice.” Reef says, “Yeah Erik, she's great, I'm proud of my sister." Reef goes on to tell me that Mimi and him sometimes stay up late watching scary movies for fun, they just hang out a lot, laugh...enjoy life.
Then I ask, "What's your favorite movie?" He thinks for a few seconds, then a smile lights up as he says, "Space Jam, it's so fun watching that movie.” I tell him that I actually saw his team play online, at the Michael Jordan Space Jam court at the Warner Bros movie studio.
Crossroads was playing Oxnard. I told Reef I used to teach 4th grade at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, located 200 feet away from Oxnard High. We both agreed that Space Jam court is ridiculously cool, a crazy fun court. (Click link below and check it out)
Shareef says it was an honor to play there, I said the court was dope, but I asked him, “Want to hear about a court just as dope to play on?”
I told him he should get with MJ at the Flight Camp at UCSB. I told him there were lots of good reasons why.
Back in the day 04', I was granted special access there by the gracious and legendary George Raveling. I told Shareef, “I remember being there for my story on Hassan Adams. When I was there, I said to Chris Paul, "Why y'all picking on young Brandan Wright?”
Chris shouted back, “He doesn't need any help, he more than holds his own with us." That made Shareef laugh and I told him, me personally, I talk a lot of smack, I appreciate legends of the game like Gary Payton, who get you going by talking.
I related to Shareef that at MJ’s camp, Chris Paul and JJ Redick were playing vs other great college players & counselors like Hassan Adams. (See story link below on Hassan)
I said to CP3, "Don't jump with Hassan, he's doing everyone dirty today,” Chris just waved me off! I told Shareef, if you go to the MJ camp, you gotta tell em "Don't jump with me!" Shareef says, "No sir, Erik, I'm too respectful."
Yes, Shareef O'Neal is too "pure of heart" to talk smack like that.
Much more about that, and then some, in part two of our feature story on Shareef.
