NBA stars have to be in top physical condition right through their playing years. Well, most of them have to. And then there are some who can choose to go out for a beer after games and then dominate in the next outing with no visible signs of anything being amiss. Nikola Jokic, for instance.
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But then, not everyone’s Jokic, and most players will be criticized and even penalized heavily if they cannot keep their physique in check. That’s what Jermaine O’Neal went through with the Miami Heat.
A 6-time All-Star, O’Neal recently appeared on the Out The Mud Podcast, where he addressed claims that he left the Heat because he chose an unhealthy lifestyle over chasing rings. According to him, those talks are completely bizarre.
“I didn’t choose Oreo cookies over a championship,” he said. “That’s idiotic for people to think. I was saying… the 8% body fat.”
Jermaine then revealed the real reason he decided to jump ship in 2010, even though the league’s best star was headed to Miami.
He wanted to win championships. A player like Jermaine will always chase that, and that’s why he headed over to the Boston Celtics to join Kevin Garnett and Co.
But more than that, it was Pat Riley’s rule that all Heat players had to have less than 8% body fat that was the final straw. For a big man like Jermaine, that was difficult.
“Pat Riley is a champion, man, you don’t question that,” added Jermaine. “Either it works for you, or it doesn’t… And I enjoyed being down there, and I realized… I’m like 30 years old. I’m looking at food like I don’t know if I can eat this. And I’m already trying to redefine myself, figure everything out.”
O’Neal realized he wasn’t going to make the cut and start games because his body fat percentage wasn’t dropping below 8%. Then Boston called — a team that had just signed Shaquille O’Neal — and he decided it was time to make the switch. He made the move despite already knowing that LeBron James was headed to Miami.
Boston had won the championship two years prior (2008), and Jermaine recalled how Danny Ainge, the President, called him and stated that they would chase another ring with him and Shaq.
“I said, ‘Oh Lord, we’re about to go get this’,” added Jermaine. “And so, in my mind, Imma go there knowing that Bron was coming there.”
Sadly for Jermaine, Boston’s championship pursuit with Garnett and an aging Shaq didn’t quite pan out. Injuries limited Jermaine’s impact, and in both seasons with the Celtics, his title hopes were ended by LeBron’s Heat.
Had Jermaine stayed in Miami, he might have played less but likely would have earned a ring. Miami won the championship in 2012 and 2013. Still, does he regret the decision? Probably not.
