The Official Site of Jermaine O'Neal

Mon, Mar 24th 2008, 14:45

Q & A with Fans

Q: Do you have friends that play in the NFL?

A: I have a lot of friends that play in the NFL. Richard Seymour from the New England Patriots, I played high school ball against him, he was in my conference in South Carolina so we’re very good friends. Quite a few of the Colts players, actually two of them are my neighbors, Dwight Freeney and Reggie Wayne. Me and Peyton are pretty cool with each other. Bob Sanders and I got a chance to really hang out quite a few times this summer, grab dinner and stuff. I know a lot of people. One thing about basketball is you get the opportunity to mingle not only with athletes, but different entertainers, different actors and actresses. It’s kind of a big circle. You tend to find yourself at different functions meeting new people all the time.

Q: Did you have to make any personal adjustments to your game or your approach in order to fit the coaching style of Coach O’Brien?

A: No, not at all. I think what we play is what I prefer to play. I think that’s one of the most misunderstood things. Over the previous four years Coach (Rick) Carlisle ran the system that everybody thought was something that I wanted to be running. I can score in the low post, but you don’t want to get beat on (for) every single play. So getting into a transition offense where everybody has an opportunity to score and take some of the pressure off me is what I prefer. I don’t want to be the center of attention every play down the floor. So the adjustments were very little. It was almost something that was accepted with open arms. We’re having a good time so far with it.

Q: What’s it like when you see kids wearing your jersey and what was it like when you saw that for the first time in your career?

A: It’s a pleasure and an honor to see people wearing your jersey. It shows the great support that fans have for you and some of the things that you’ve accomplished in your career. When I first saw it, it was like “Wow.” It went as far as even seeing kids wearing my high school jersey which brought back memories also. It’s a wonderful thing for me.