If you are a fan of basketball, you might have wondered if Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal are related. After all, they share the same last name and they both played in the NBA as centers or power forwards. However, the answer is no, they are not related by blood or by marriage. They are just two players who happen to have a common surname.
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The Origin of the O’Neal Name
The name O’Neal is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Néill, which means “descendant of Niall”. Niall was a legendary king of Ireland who lived in the 5th century and had many sons who became the ancestors of various clans. The O’Neills were one of the most powerful and influential families in Irish history, ruling over large territories and producing several kings and nobles.
The O’Neal name was brought to America by Irish immigrants who settled in different regions and states. According to Ancestry.com, there are about 113,000 people with the O’Neal surname in the United States, and it is most common in Texas, California, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina.
The Background of Jermaine O’Neal
Jermaine O’Neal was born on October 13, 1978, in Columbia, South Carolina. He and his older brother, Clifford, were raised by their mother, Angela Ocean. He started playing basketball at a young age and became a star at Eau Claire High School. He was one of the best players in his class and decided to skip college and enter the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school.
He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick, making him the youngest player to ever play an NBA game at 18 years old. He spent four seasons with the Blazers but did not get much playing time behind established stars like Rasheed Wallace and Arvydas Sabonis. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2000, where he blossomed into an All-Star and one of the best big men in the league.
He played for the Pacers for eight seasons, averaging 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He made six All-Star appearances, three All-NBA teams, and won the Most Improved Player award in 2002. He also led the Pacers to six playoff appearances, including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004.
He later played for the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors before retiring in 2014. He finished his career with 13,309 points, 7,261 rebounds, and 1,820 blocks. He is currently working as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Background of Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey. His biological father, Joseph Toney, abandoned him when he was an infant. His mother, Lucille O’Neal, married Phillip Harrison, a career Army sergeant who became Shaq’s stepfather and raised him as his own son. Shaq grew up in a military family and moved around a lot as a child. He started playing basketball at age nine and developed into a dominant force on the court.
He attended Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he led his team to a state championship. He then went to Louisiana State University (LSU), where he became one of the best college players of all time. He averaged 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game in three seasons at LSU. He won two SEC Player of the Year awards, two consensus All-American honors, and the Adolph Rupp Trophy as the national player of the year in 1991.
He left LSU after his junior year and entered the 1992 NBA draft as the consensus number one pick. He was selected by the Orlando Magic and immediately made an impact as a rookie. He averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game and won the Rookie of the Year award unanimously. He also led the Magic to their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
He played for the Magic for four seasons, forming a dynamic duo with Penny Hardaway and taking them to the NBA Finals in 1995. However, he left Orlando as a free agent in 1996 and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers , where he teamed up with Kobe Bryant to create one of the most dominant tandems in NBA history.
He played for the Lakers for eight seasons , winning three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 and earning three Finals MVP awards. He also won the regular season MVP award in 2000 and made seven All-Star appearances, five All-NBA first teams, and three All-Defensive second teams as a Laker. He averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game during his tenure in LA.
He was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, where he joined forces with Dwyane Wade and won his fourth championship in 2006. He played for the Heat for four seasons, making two more All-Star teams and one more All-NBA second team. He averaged 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in Miami.
He later played for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011. He finished his career with 28,596 points, 13,099 rebounds, and 2,732 blocks. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and one of the most dominant centers ever. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
The Relationship Between Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal
Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal are not related by blood or by marriage, but they do share a mutual respect and admiration for each other as fellow NBA stars. They have faced each other many times on the court, both as rivals and as teammates.
They first met in the 1996 NBA draft, when they were both selected by the Orlando Magic. Shaq was already an established superstar, while Jermaine was a raw rookie. Shaq took Jermaine under his wing and mentored him during their brief time together in Orlando.
They later became opponents when Jermaine was traded to Indiana and Shaq signed with LA. They had some epic battles in the playoffs, especially in the 2000 and 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. Shaq usually got the upper hand on Jermaine, but Jermaine always gave him a tough challenge.
They also became teammates again when Shaq joined Miami in 2008 and Jermaine followed suit in 2009. They played together for one season, helping the Heat reach the first round of the playoffs. They also played together briefly in Boston in 2011, but both were hampered by injuries and did not contribute much.
They have remained friends off the court and have praised each other’s game and legacy. Jermaine recently appeared on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson , where he talked about how Shaq changed the game with his size, strength, and agility. He also said that Shaq was often underrated and underappreciated by the league and the media.
Shaq has also shown his appreciation for Jermaine’s career and achievements. He once called him “one of my favorite players” and said that he was “a great player who could do it all”. He also congratulated him on his retirement and wished him well in his coaching career.
Conclusion
Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal are not related by blood or by marriage, but they are related by basketball. They have shared a long and storied history in the NBA, as teammates, opponents, and friends. They have both left their mark on the game and earned their place among the best big men ever.
