Shaq's Son Says 'I Can Be Better Than My Father'

Shaquille O'Neal's son says he's confident he can be a better player than his legendary father ... telling TMZ Sports he's got all the tools to be the GREATEST hoopster in his athletically gifted family.

We spoke with Shareef O'Neal -- who's already become one of the top high school prospects in the country -- and he didn't hesitate when we asked if he could have more NBA success than his dad.

Obviously, Shaq has gone down as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA -- so, if Shareef is right ... he's got one helluva future ahead of him.

Kid has confidence.