After spending a year with the Real Madrid team of the Spanish Liga ACB, Spain's highest level of professional basketball, point guard Dennis Smith Jr. signed a one-year deal to return to the NBA to play for the Dallas Mavericks.
Smith was selected by the Mavericks with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and he would spend under two seasons with the team before being traded to the New York Knicks in the trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Dallas.
Now he's back with the Mavs, and this NBA Hall of Famer's son couldn't be happier for him.
Shareef O'Neal Commented On Shams Charania's Post Announcing Smith Jr.'s Signing
As NBA insider Shams Charania announced Smith Jr.'s signing with the Mavericks in a post on Instagram, Shareef O'Neal, son of former NBA MVP and four-time champion Shaquille O'Neal, commented on the post with a simple, "Yessssssir!!!"
Shareef, who played college ball for the LSU Tigers like his father did, has not gotten much of a chance on the professional hardwood, landing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sacramento Kings in 2024, but was waived shortly thereafter, and averaged 5.6 points per game in the NBA G-League.
Dennis Smith Jr. averaged 15.2 points in his rookie season with the Mavs, good enough for fifth place in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.