Every athlete remembers the time they had to pull themselves out of a rabbit hole — a difficult stretch that, while challenging, ultimately served as a valuable learning experience. For Jermaine O’Neal, that moment was being chained to the Portland Trail Blazers’ bench — something the six-time All-Star opened up about on the latest edition of the Out of the Mud podcast.
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Host and fellow former NBA star Tony Allen asked O’Neal to share the “Out of the Mud” moment in his career. It was “waiting four years,” O’Neal replied, referring to the first four years of his career in Portland (1996-2000). “Back then, it was a three-year contract off the draft joint,” he said.
Jermaine recalled having offers from New York, Chicago, and Orlando during that time — teams that had guaranteed him a starting role. However, the Blazers convinced him to stay on their championship-contending squad, promising him playing time that ultimately never came.
“Mike Dunleavy was like, ‘You’ll play 24 minutes a game’. This is what it’s gonna be. Minimum. So I said, ‘Ok, I’m going back,'” he added.
The hurt in the now 46-year-old’s voice said all you needed to know about how that worked out. “If you can pull it up right now. My numbers, my time went down every year I played at Portland,” he somberly stated.
It’s a tough way for any athlete to begin their professional career — especially when promises go unfulfilled. But it was a challenge that shaped him. “I always tell people the level of mental toughness that you have to go through in that sh**.”
The situation became worse when he saw younger players getting more opportunities than he was.“Now there’s high school players getting drafted and they’re playing right away,” he recalled. “Here I am in my fourth year, I just signed a new four-year deal, and they’re trying to suffocate me.”
Getting through something like that requires serious mental strength. Fortunately, Jermaine had his priorities straight. He knew what his purpose was going to be and didn’t let the unlucky situation hold him back mentally any further.
“My purpose is to take care of my family. My purpose is to be good at what I do. I knew in my mind, I said I’m gonna be an All-Star. I’ve got to.”
And become an All-Star, he did. Jermaine found massive success in Indiana between 2000 and 2008, and was one Malice at the Palace brawl away from potentially reaching the NBA Finals. He later had stints with the Raptors, Heat, Celtics, and Suns before finishing his career as a Golden State Warrior.
When fans look back on O’Neal’s career, they’ll remember a player who was strong in the low post and, at times, dominant as a shot blocker. His defensive presence is still talked about in the league today.
He may not have won a ring, but he achieved his ultimate goal — taking care of his family by playing the game he loved.
