"I got surgery to grow taller": Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef goes viral after joking about his height

Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef O’Neal, has NBA fans and social media buzzing but not for basketball this time. During a recent livestream, the 6’10” basketball player jokingly claimed he had surgery to grow taller, sparking viral reactions online. Clips of Shareef saying he went from “6’1” to 6’11”” spread across social media with fans laughing and creating memes about the playful moment. While it’s all in good fun, the joke perfectly blends Shareef’s charm with the internet’s love for Shaq family humor.

Shareef O’Neal’s hilarious joke has fans laughing

The livestream captured Shareef interacting with fans and joking about his height. When someone reacted to how tall he is, Shareef deadpanned that he had undergone a “kneeBL” surgery, a completely made-up procedure to grow taller. He even referenced going from a shorter height to his current towering 6’10” frame.

"Yeah, I got the surgery in my knee to make me taller, Last year I was 6'1. I'm live streaming because I was the first person to get the knee BL... I'm 6'11 now."


Of course, the joke isn’t real, Shareef did not undergo any surgery to grow taller. A little context, Shareef O’Neal is a 6’10” professional basketball player and the son of Shaquille O’Neal. Shareef O’Neal was born with a congenital heart defect. In 2018, he underwent open-heart surgery to correct the condition. This surgery was medically necessary and not related to his growth or height. The procedure was successful, and Shareef recovered well. It allowed him to continue playing basketball at a competitive level.



Shareef has since pursued basketball seriously, playing in college at UCLA and LSU before moving toward professional opportunities. The heart surgery was a major moment in his life, showing resilience and determination, but it’s completely separate from any of the recent viral jokes about height. Shareef’s heart surgery was real and life-saving, performed to correct a congenital defect. His viral “height surgery” joke is purely humorous and unrelated.


Shareef O’Neal’s “height surgery” joke is a reminder that even NBA families can go viral for humor, not just athletic feats.


Also read - Klay Thompson’s girlfriend Megan Thee Stallion admits she once hit a boyfriend during a fight