Name: Jermaine O'Neal
Born: October 13, 1978 in Columbia, SC
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Power Forward, Center
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 260 lbs.
Nicknames: JON
High School: Eau Claire in Columbia, SC
College: None
Drafted: 1996; 1st round, 17th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers
Teams Played For In Career:
- Portland Trail Blazers (1996-2000)
- Indiana Pacers (2000-2008)
- Toronto Raptors (2008-Present)
MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS:
Most Improved Player
- 2001-02 NBA Most Improved Player
NBA All-Star
- 2001-02 All-Star
- 2002-03 All-Star
- 2003-04 All-Star
- 2004-05 All-Star
- 2005-06 All-Star
- 2006-07 All-Star
All-NBA Teams
- 2001-02 All-NBA Third Team
- 2002-03 All-NBA Third Team
- 2003-04 All-NBA Second Team
Background:
O'Neal declared for the draft straight out of high school and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers where he was never given much opportunity to play. He was traded to Indiana in 2000 where O'Neal had the opportunity to start right away and his numbers quickly improved. All he needed was some consistent "burn" on the court.
Unfortunately, O'Neal was suspended for a total of ten games after being involved in the November 19, 2004 brawl during a game against the Detroit Pistons. This was the infamous "Malice in the Palace" debacle that was ignited when a fan threw a soda at Ron Artest as he lay on the scorer's table. On December 30, 2005, he opened a nightclub named "Seven" located in Indianapolis.
His Career Thus Far:
When healthy, O'Neal is one of a few players who can average 20 points and 10 rebounds a game and also be a force on the defensive end. His talents were wasted in Portland, blossoming into a star in Indy where he has made a few All-NBA teams. However, the past few seasons have had O'Neal's durability and therefore the value of his output.
O'Neal has the skills and talent to put a team on his back and push them into the playoffs. However, during the offseason before the 2007-08 season, it was reported that O'Neal asked to be traded, but quickly backtracked the next day. However, just like in Portland when he first started out in the league, O'Neal's talent may be wasted on a poor performing Pacers team that isn't projected to go anywhere. Time will tell.
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