Shareef O'Neal Returns to Practice Court For UCLA Following Heart Surgery

Shareef O'Neal is making a dramatic return to the basketball court ... stepping back onto the hardwood 4 months after undergoing heart surgery!!!

The UCLA star posted a picture Wednesday evening of him getting some shots up on campus ... and it's great to see him playing the game he loves.

Shareef missed his entire freshman season after going under the knife in December to correct an irregularity with his heart ... and his post-op pictures proved just how serious the procedure was.

Shareef's return is great news for UCLA and new head coach Mick Cronin ... the Bruins struggled to a 17-16 record without the services of the star recruit, missing the NCAA Tournament by a mile.

When we got Shareef out at Staples Center in early March, Shaq's son told us he was about 6 weeks away from returning to the floor ... and it turns out his timetable was spot on.