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Sons of NBA legends O'Neal, Pippen to play for Lakers

Shaquille O'Neal's (C) son Shareef (L) signed up to play in the Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers, while his youngest son Shaqir plays for Texas Southern. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Shaquille O'Neal's (C) son Shareef (L) signed up to play in the Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers, while his youngest son Shaqir plays for Texas Southern. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

June 24 (UPI) -- Shareef O'Neal and Scotty Pippen Jr., the sons of NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Scottie Pippen, agreed to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, they confirmed Friday on social media.

O'Neal agreed to play for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League. Pippen agreed to a two-way contract with the Western Conference franchise.

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"Thank you for this opportunity, Lakers," O'Neal tweeted.

O'Neal also posted footage of himself as a child during his dad's tenure with the Lakers. Shaq spent eight of his 19 seasons with the Lakers. The Hall of Fame center won three of his four titles with the franchise.

Pippen also took to his Twitter and Instagram accounts to announce the signing.

"Dreams come true," Pippen wrote on the social media platforms. "Let's get to work Lake Show."

Scottie Pippen spent 12 of his 17 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, where he teamed up with Michael Jordan to win six titles.

Scotty Pippen Jr. averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game in 36 games last season at Vanderbilt. He averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game over three seasons with the Commodores. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard went to Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles.

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Scottie Pippen posted photos on his Instagram story of a celebration the family hosted for his son's signing.

"Congrats my love," Pippen's mom, Larsa Pippen, wrote on Instagram. "You're going to your favorite team, the Lakers. I couldn't be more proud of you."

O'Neal went to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Calif. He started his collegiate career at UCLA, but transferred to LSU -- his dad's alma matter -- for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 14 appearances last season for the Tigers.

Shaq liked several posts on Twitter earlier this month when Shareef worked out for the Lakers. His youngest son, Shaqir, plays for Texas Southern.

Justin Pippen, one of Scottie Pippen's other sons, currently plays for Sierra Canyon, where he is teammates with LeBron James Jr.

The Lakers did not own a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which took place Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They selected former Michigan State star Max Christie at No. 35 overall in the second round.

The Lakers will be part of the annual California Classic, a preseason showcase that will start July 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors also will participate.

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The 2022 NBA Summer League will run from July 7 through 17 in Las Vegas.

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