Shareef O'Neal Says He's Transferring From UCLA In Emotional Goodbye Letter

Shareef O'Neal is done at UCLA ... Shaq's son just announced he's transferring from the school after less than two years -- and it's unclear where his next stop will be.

"A part of my heart will always be at UCLA figuratively and literally," Shareef said in an emotional goodbye letter to the university. "I'm looking forward to the next chapter, wherever that may be."

Shareef came to UCLA in 2018 with sky-high expectations ... the 6-foot-9 forward was nationally ranked and had superstar potential.

But, his freshman season ended before it began after UCLA doctors discovered an irregularity with his heart ... and he was forced to undergo scary surgery to fix the issue.

He later credited the school's docs for saving his life.

The 20-year-old came out of operation just fine ... but the recovery time forced him to miss his entire first year in Westwood.

But, after UCLA fired his head coach, Steve Alford, for Mick Cronin ... his sophomore season didn't go as planned either.

Shareef wasn't a starter this season ... and never scored more than 8 points in his brief playing time.

It's unclear if O'Neal intends to transfer to another school or take his chances in the NBA draft. He's told TMZ Sports previously, playing in the Association was always his ultimate goal.