Jermaine O’Neal is an American former professional basketball player. At 18 years old, he is the youngest player to play in the NBA. Jermaine was selected in the 1996 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. As of 2021, Jermaine O’Neal’s net worth is estimated to be around $70 million.
| Full Name | Jermaine O’Neal |
| Birth Date | October 13, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Columbia, South Carolina, U. S. |
| Profession | Retired basketball player |
| Wife | Mesha |
| Net Worth | $70 million |
Early life
Jermaine O’Neill was born on October 13, 1978 in South Carolina, United States. He was raised by his mother Angela Ocean with an older brother named Clifford. Her mother worked very hard to raise her two children and, even in a difficult situation, she was able to provide her children with her own equipment. Jermaine was obsessed with athletics from a very young age.
He loved football and basketball very much, but of these two sports the one he loves the most is basketball. For his studies he enrolled at the Lycée des Arts Eau Claire. He continued to play basketball in school and even promised basketball coach George Glymph that he would become the best player in school history.
Jermaine O’Neill Net Worth and Career
Jermaine was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1996 NBA draft, but arrived late to Portland due to a broken knee. He played his first game against the Denver Nuggets in December 1996. Since his debut, he has described himself as the youngest player to play in an NBA game. He was 18 years, 1 month and 22 days old when he signed up.
O’Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers in the 2000-2001 season. Once he started playing for the Pacers, he proved to be a key player on the team. He greatly improved his game in the 2001 season, averaging 12.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in each game.
He was also instrumental in his team’s record of 4,141 and eighth in the playoffs. On July 9, 2008, O’Neal was traded to the new Toronto Raptors team. After playing for a year with the Pacers, he was traded to the Miami Heat in 2009.
O’Neal performed well in his first 12 games with the Heat. He led his team to victory in seven of 12 games. He started all 70 games of the 2009-10 season with the Miami Heat. Jermaine re-signed with the Boston Celtics on July 14, 2010. However, he did not have a good season with the Celtics and missed 58 regular season games due to left wrist and knee injuries.
Jermain signed a new contract with the Phoenix Suns on August 15, 2012. He has been named the new team captain along with teammate Jared Dudley. While playing for the Phoenix Suns on November 21, 2012, he helped his team easily beat the Portland Trail Blazers. In the game, he scored 17 points in an 11,487 victory over the Blazers. On July 23, 2013, he signed with the Golden State Warriors.
O’Neal suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist on December 13, 2013, and returned to action on February 4, 2014. He missed the 2014/15 NBA season because he felt exhausted. He was on the sidelines of the NBA for a long time, which suggests his retirement, but in February 2016 O’Neal said that he had not decided to officially retire from the NBA.
Personal life of Jermaine O’Neill
Jermaine O’Neill is a married man who married a woman named Mesha. He has two children with his wife Mesha named Jermaine Jr. and Asia. O’Neal made headlines with his NBA career and managed to keep his personal life out of the media spotlight.
O’Neal is very active on Instagram where he shares his latest updates. He currently has 129,000 followers on his official Instagram account.
Jermaine O’Neill Net Worth
As of 2021, Jermaine O’Neal’s personal fortune is estimated to be around $70 million. O’Neal was the second highest paid basketball player in the NBA after the legendary Kobe Bryant. In the 2002003 season, he signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Indiana Pacers.