$804,000 NIL-valued Shaqir O'Neal expresses gratitude for father Shaq’s Christmas surprise

Florida A&M Rattlers junior forward Shaqir O'Neal got a little Christmas surprise on Sunday from his father, Shaquille O'Neal. The youngest son of Shaq posted an Instagram story for the same instance on Sunday evening.

The 21-year-old did not mention O'Neal's gift. However, the $804k NIL worth (as per On3) athlete conveyed Shaq's gesture by posting a picture while sitting in the backseat of a car on his story and captioning it:

"Pops just came through and blessed me," Shaqir O'Neal wrote.

Shaqir's story for Shaquille O'Neal's Christmas present

Shaqir O'Neal transferred to Florida A&M Rattlers from Texas Southern Tigers this summer and is already making major improvements in his Division I play. O'Neal is averaging 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds on over seven attempts per game and 52.1% shooting this season. For the last two years, the youngster was stuck averaging under two points and two rebounds on just 1.5 shot attempts per game.

Moreover, behind increased opportunities, O'Neal also marked his new college career-best performance on Nov. 22 against the Trinity Baptist Eagles, scoring 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, nine rebounds and four blocks. His game high with the Texas Southern Tigers was 12 points and seven rebounds against the North American Stallions in his freshman season.

Shaqir O'Neal is loving his time at FAMU

O'Neal came to FAMU to make a name for himself in the basketball world. However, when he entered the transfer portal this summer, no program extended him an offer.

It was not until Florida A&M Rattlers' coach Patrick Crarey II inquired about Shaqir's availability to his father, Shaquille O'Neal, and his older brother, Shareef O'Neal, that Shaqir got a second chance.

"I always knew about FAMU, I love the school," O’Neal said about the Rattlers. "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."

There was very little of Shaqir O'Neal's talent available on film due to the dismal playing time with Texas Southern. However, Patrick Crarey liked O'Neal's work ethic and inclination to play heavy minutes in a game, which he believes will help the youngster to become a better player.