LiAngelo Ball will be suiting up for an NBA team next season, and it ain't just 'cause of his talent -- so says Shareef O'Neal.
We spoke to Shareef -- a top NCAA prospect -- after LiAngelo dropped 72 POINTS in an exhibition game out in Lithuania earlier this week ... and asked if he thought the middle Ball bro was NBA-bound.
Reef told us he did, but not because of Gelo's breakout performance.
"I think he's gonna make it on a team just 'cause his brother's already there, and I feel like just the platform that that family has he can make it on a team," O'Neal told TMZ Sports.
We also had to ask Reef if he thinks he could take Gelo 1-on-1, and he was pretty nice about it ... but he didn't take it so easy on his old man, Shaq!