Shaq Makes Surprise Appearance To Watch Son At Spalding Hoophall Classic

Shaq Makes Surprise Appearance To Watch Son

SPRINGFIELD, MA — The biggest attention-getter Saturday night wasn’t a thunderous dunk or a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. It actually had nothing to do with anyone on the court for the Spalding Hoophall Classic. Well, kind of. The loudest buzz came when Shaquille O’Neal walked into Blake Arena for the first time. It almost paused everything.

O’Neal, a 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, wasn’t here for just kicks. The former dominant NBA center was in town to watch his son, 2018 Flo40 forward Shareef, hoop it up.

Although Crossroads (CA) lost to Cambridge Rindge and Latin (MA), 46-36, and Shareef, the No. 16 prospect in 2018, had an off night with just five points, you better believe all eyes and camera phones were on Shaq sitting underneath the basket at all times.