Jermaine O'Neal Interview

[hammerhead johnson]

In his own words: Jermaine O'Neal

 

Pacers team captain and All-Star Jermaine O'Neal is among the most articulate players in the league. In the last week he's put his eloquence to use explaining why Indiana should not reverse course and reinstate small forward Ron Artest on the active roster after he demanded to be traded before asking for a reprieve a few days later. In this interview O'Neal explains his feelings about Artest, including his assertion that he could have accepted a lesser penalty for his part in the 2004 brawl at Detroit but was adamant about supporting his teammate. O'Neal was ultimately suspended 25 games for his role in the melee.

 

Though the 6-11 O'Neal is a power forward, he's spent most of this season playing out of position at center (in place of the previously injured Jeff Foster). As of Monday night, O'Neal was averaging 22.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for the Pacers (14-8), who won four of their first five games after Artest was placed on the inactive list while the team tried to trade him. "He's a legitimate MVP candidate based on how he's led the team and how he's played," says Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. "He's been the key guy to hold this group together through a tough first month, trying to find our way and find our chemistry."

 

On how he supported Artest last season:

 

"Right now we're dealing with a situation with Ron which made me a little bit bitter because of all the situations I've been involved in with Ron, especially after actually going to bat for him and doing what I did last year for him. I had a chance to not even [go] to arbitration; I could have just gone to the NBA and [by declining arbitration], my suspension would have been done with. So for him to speak about other players and other teams while wearing the uniform, after all that we've been through, is a little bit of a slap of the face."

 

On his rapport with Artest:

 

"Our relationship in the past hasn't been the best. It's just been a work relationship, not a personal relationship. But this year was a little bit different -- actually it was a lot different. We talked all the time, we called each other, we came off a West Coast trip where we were together every single day. Then we got the word [about Artest's trade demand] when you guys got the word, and that was probably one of the most hurtful things. As a player you understand the nature of either wanting to be traded or you're going to be traded -- that one of the two is going to happen in your career. We would have understood it a lot more if he had just come to us -- the players -- because we're the guys who ultimately carry the organization. We win or lose games. It's one of those situations where I got upset about it, but at the end of the day I can't really dwell on that. I've just got to keep moving forward."

 

On winning a championship this year:

 

"We were just talking on the bus about how you see so many different articles about how the Pacers 'need to retool now.' This Pacers team has dealt with me not being here, with Ron, with Jack (Stephen Jackson), with Reggie [Miller] not being here, and the fact of the matter is that we've never faltered. We've always found a way to stay afloat, even with six or seven guys, so we can't worry about people who don't want to be here. Ron is an afterthought now. It's more about what we can do to better ourselves.

 

"We're not going to sit on our hands and wait on a trade. This is what is given to us. We have to go out and compete every single night. I'm sure whatever [team president] Donnie [Walsh] and [GM] Larry [bird] do is going to be beneficial to the team, but our style has to be established now and whoever we get has to get in with the program. We can't wait to see what type of player we get; there're 14 other players on our team, so that [new] player has to adjust to what we're doing."

 

On the up-and-down nature of this year's Pacers:

 

"This is probably the most frustrating time in my last four or five years because the bar has been set so high and when you underachieve there is no excuse. So don't talk about certain situations when we were tired or whatever, because every team goes through that. Every team plays the schedule. It's either we go out and we play hard or we don't play hard. That's it. When you make excuses you set yourself up for failure every single time.

 

"Maybe it's time for management to find a group of players -- from me on down -- where there are no excuses. We have to come to the games, OK? So why not go out and play to win? It's only for two hours, so why not give your full ability to win? I'm going to put the blame on my shoulders, but one thing I do expect is for every player on this team to do what he's supposed to do. If between now and June we don't get certain players doing what they're supposed to do, then they shouldn't be here."

 

On the paradox of Artest:

 

"As a player you just get tired of dealing with it, you get tired of talking about issues that have nothing to do with basketball. It never has anything to do with basketball. And it's the off-the-court stuff that wears you down. It's so puzzling because when you talk to Ron and you deal with him, he's perfectly fine and he's one of the hardest workers that you've ever seen. His desire to be the best is unbelievable. I admire that to the utmost. He brings that aggressiveness, that ability, that energy every single day, and it's hard to do that every single day, but he finds a way. But then there's another part of Ron that you don't quite understand. He does things, says things, and it's more on an individual level, where its just about Ron and it's never about the team.

 

"We laugh and joke about it now because we shouldn't be surprised. Every year we've dealt with something.... From the bottom of my heart I hope that Ron Artest reaches every goal and gets everything that benefits him and his family from basketball. I genuinely hope for that. We just can't have any more issues that affect us.

 

On how Artest hurt his future earnings:

 

"He probably is one of the rare Top-15 guys who doesn't get paid Top-15 money. But when something like this comes up again, after what he went through last year, you're not quite sure that he would ever get that max deal. That's probably the saddest thing about it, because for what he physically can do he deserves a max deal. But it's so much more -- it's not just playing the game. You have to be a very good person, also. And Ron is a very good person; he just has certain issues that he lets funnel over. And sometimes he says things, and I don't think he really means it, but once you say it, it's done. It's in ink."

 

On what he learns from his rivals:

 

"San Antonio has a lot more talent. Detroit is not that talented. They have five really good players, and they have other guys who know their roles. Personality-wise, they're put together very well. It takes a team -- not necessarily a talented team -- but a team from 1 through 15 that wants to win, that's going to be happy for every player if they score a bucket. One thing I notice about the Spurs and the Pistons: When the team is making a run, you see guys up, waving towels, jumping up and down, [and they] haven't played one minute in the game. That's what it's about. That's a championship team. Our team, we're more of an emotional team. When things are going bad then you can tell. You can look at peoples' faces and you can tell."

 

On playing center:

 

"Centers have had an awful lot of problems guarding me. Even when we played in Miami [in November], Shaq picked up three quick fouls trying to guard me because I'm able to catch and face. Miami really has a lot of problems with me in the pick and roll.

 

"Obviously Shaq is the most dominant player ever, and I think he's the only center who would give me issues -- and that's as far as foul trouble. But as far as any center guarding me, there's no center that can guard me. Period. As far as Yao Ming, he fades later in the game, he gets tired. So I'm strong enough to hold him up, and if he's not making that turnaround shot, he's in trouble. He's going to find problems catching and facing because he can't move his feet quick enough.

 

"My motto is: If you're too big, I'm going to face you; if you're too small, I'm going to post you. And I give a lot of credit to Rick Carlisle and his system."

[greasywheels121]

He's probably my favorite guy in the league after Reggie retired. He's not afraid.

[EVH]

He's an idiot. He blamed the league's reaction to last year's brawl on racism.

[hammerhead johnson]

He's an idiot. He blamed the league's reaction to last year's brawl on racism.

 

Yeah, I can't defend Jermaine here. He thought that the lengthy suspensions were a way to appease the average white basketball fan who was turned off by supposed "thugs" like Artest, O'Neal, Jackson, etc.

 

Jermaine also came out with this nugget:

 

Pacers O'Neal says NBA draft age limit smacks of racism

 

You play the race card and you ultimately look like a fool.

 

When all is said and done, I like Jermaine both on and off the court, but I can't defend him here.