Shareef O'Neal Posts BTS Vid After Heart Surgery, 'Was Scared For My Life'

Shareef O'Neal is giving an inside look of how far he's come since his serious heart surgery a year ago ... sharing behind-the-scenes videos on the anniversary of his procedure.

As we previously reported ... UCLA doctors found an irregularity with the 19-year-old's heart and he was required to go under the knife to fix the issue.

At the time, Shareef credited the docs with saving his life.

O'Neal is reflecting on his journey one year later ... sharing pics of his parents Shaq and Shaunie helping him walk for the first time post-surgery, and breaking down how he felt in that moment.

"a year ago today i was scared for my life," Shareef says. "a year ago today I was learning how to walk again . A year ago today I was turned into a new kid . A year ago today my life changed."

"I thought I was going through hell while dealing with this process but then i realized it was a blessing that it was found."

"I am very grateful for my health today and I will always be."

Shareef was sidelined for his entire first season ... but has since been able to return to the court to play for the Bruins. He's played in 10 games this season.

"I want to thank my family and friends for everything they did also .. this year has been a big struggle and I’m still finding my way back into things.."