The Official Site of Jermaine O'Neal

Mon, May 4th 2009, 08:43

JO tries to play, but concussion effects force him out of game 7

Desperate to help his team in a game 7 situation on the road in Atlanta, Jermaine O’Neal received medical clearance to play shortly before tip-off. About 90 minutes before the game coach Erik Spoelstra announced O’Neal wouldn’t play. But O’Neal did some pre-game shooting and then apparently convinced the team doctor he was well enough to play. O’Neal entered the game with 1:14 left in the first quarter but was pulled after 42 seconds of action, as it was clear he wasn’t over the effects of the concussion.

Game recap….

Video recap….

After the game 7 loss, Jermaine will be heading back to his off-season home in Las Vegas to begin training for next season. Also,...

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Sat, Apr 25th 2009, 11:10

Jermaine O'Neal finally finding comfort zone - and just in time

First came the pass from Jermaine O’Neal to Dwyane Wade. Then the dunk and the foul. Then more than 19,000 fans jumped to their feet.

Then came something O’Neal has rarely shown – emotion.

The Heat’s maligned center, remembering the phone call he received after Game 1 in Atlanta, ran to center court, absorbed the crowd and pointed.

“My brother called me and asked me when was the last time I enjoyed the game with emotion,” O’Neal said. “I’ve been an emotional player and that was my calling card in Indiana. I haven’t really done that because I haven’t been comfortable.”

He is getting comfortable and just in time for the Heat.

And his brother, Clifford O’Neal, must like what he’s seeing, too.

O’Neal’s 22 points…

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Thu, Apr 23rd 2009, 12:22

O'Neal bounces back for Heat

Mario Chalmers sat in the corner of a loose Heat locker room an hour before tip-off on Wednesday night and calmly explained how the previous two days were not ones of hand-wringing or depression for the 90-64 losers of Game 1.

“We just had a period of getting refocused,” he said. “It sort of felt like [making regular-season adjustments], but we are at a different stage of the season. Tonight, we’re more relaxed.”

The rookie proved prophetic as the Heat pulled a 180 and evened this suddenly interesting series with a 108-93 win over the Hawks. The hero was Dwyane Wade, he of the 33 points and outrageous game-clinching three-pointer that banked in at the shot-clock buzzer with 2:38 to play….

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Sun, Apr 19th 2009, 10:42

Jermaine O'Neal becomes X-factor

He’s positively crucial to the Heat making a deeper-than-expected run into these NBA playoffs, yet Jermaine O’Neal can’t wait until the offseason.

It would sound disconcerting to hear that from a 6-11 player whom the Heat acquired in February for the purpose of providing offensive balance and a defensive presence, particularly at this time of the year.

It would sound that way if you didn’t know just how meaningful an entire, surgery-free offseason could mean to O’Neal’s career.

Don’t mistake that for disinterest in the present. O’Neal has never gotten past a conference finals in 10 previous postseasons, so he would just assume this playoff run go well into June for the Heat.

But he can’t help but look forward to finally recovering from…

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Wed, Apr 15th 2009, 10:23

Q and A with Jermaine

Q: Are you paying attention to the things people are saying about how much you have left and what you can and can’t do any more?

JO: No. You take any player and you give ‘em a knee injury … ask Kevin Garnett right now how he feels. You take any player’s livelihood, which is his knee, and put any injury to it … it’s going to be a process. And it’s been one hell of a process for me.

But I’ve finally gotten to the point where I feel like I’m over the hump with the knee situation. I think for people to really understand what I’ve been through, playing hurt [for Indiana], coming back and forth and knowing that our…

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