Jermaine O'Neal
Former NBA All-Star and Most Improved Player who played for the Indiana Pacers and five other teams.
via Wikipedia: Jermaine O'Neal · see source
Jermaine Lee O'Neal Sr. (born October 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. A center/power forward, he had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school. O'Neal, at just 17 years of age, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick, and played his first professional game at 18. At the time, he was the youngest player to ever play an NBA game.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 13 October 1978
- Birthplace
- Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
- High school
- Eau Claire (Columbia, South Carolina)
- Draft round
- 1
- Draft pick
- 17
- Drafted by
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Career number
- 5, 6, 7, 20
- Career position
- Center; power forward
Lore & Background
O'Neal was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He and his older brother, Clifford, were raised by their mother, Angela Ocean. He found his love for athletics at a young age, enjoying both American football and basketball, with basketball being his favorite sport. His basketball heroes are Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Russell. In high school, he played for Eau Claire High School, where he grew five inches over a year and a half and became a defensive powerhouse. He averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 blocks per game as a junior, helping Eau Claire capture its third straight 3A state title in 1995. In his senior season, he averaged 22.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game, earning First Team All-State, South Carolina's Player of the Year, and Mr. Basketball. He was named to USA Today's All-USA Basketball Team and played in the McDonald's All-American Game. He scored poorly on the SATs and was advised against jumping to the NBA, but he chose to emulate Kevin Garnett.
Reader's Guide
O'Neal was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 17th pick in the 1996 NBA draft. After missing the first 17 games with a bone contusion in his knee, he made his debut against the Denver Nuggets in December. At 18 years, one month and 22 days, he became the youngest player to play in an NBA game (a mark later eclipsed by Andrew Bynum). He also became the youngest player at 18 years, three months and eleven days to score 20 points in a game on January 22, 1997, against the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first season, he appeared in 45 games, averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He struggled to break into the first team in Portland and was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2000. In eight seasons with the Pacers, he was voted an NBA All-Star six times, made the All-NBA teams three times, and was voted the NBA Most Improved Player in the 2001–02 season. He helped Indiana reach the NBA playoffs six times, including the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2003–04 season. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors before the 2008–09 season, and later played for the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns. His final NBA season was the 2013–14 season with the Golden State Warriors.
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