Shareef O'Neal using time away from basketball to explore other passions

While basketball remains his top priority, UCLA freshman Shareef O'Neal plans to use his time recovering from heart surgery to pursue other interests.

"The NBA is something I've been wanting to do for a long time, but this is the opportunity to try to find other things ..." he told TMZ Sports. "I mean, I've been doing a lot of stuff with fashion lately."

Shareef's dad, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, is also involved in the fashion world, having recently launched a big and tall men's clothing line with JCPenney. Shareef plans to go a different route, though.

"I'm looking more for a higher-end fashion, I know how his mindset works," he said.

Shareef will be sidelined for the entire 2018-19 season as a result of his heart condition, which the UCLA medical staff discovered during a routine checkup.