Pacer star says he likes his new team and is ready for a fresh start
By ERICKA P. THOMPSON
Ending much speculation, Jermaine O’Neal smiled for the media during the Indiana Pacers’ annual Media Day saying he felt good about his new team and coach, and he was happy to be in Indiana.
Sidestepping summer trade rumors, particularly the one involving O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, the Pacer forward acknowledged his worries of playing for a young Pacer team but reiterated his loyalty.
Although O’Neal can opt out of the final two years of his contract at the end of the season, he called the upcoming season “a fresh start.”
On trade rumors
A lot of it was all talk. I’m here, I’m happy to be here, I feel good, I like the staff and I like the guys.
A lot of times people write stuff just so it can sell. The most difficult part about the summer was having to come back into a situation and hear stuff that I didn’t say. All in all, I believe what’s going to happen will happen.
On a fresh start
I think the most intriguing thing is that we get the opportunity to learn the system together. It’s not three or four guys coming in during the middle of the season and having to learn on the fly.
It’s a new year. Everybody that played here last year feels that it was a failing year. Sometimes failure makes you stronger, physically and mentally. The guys we brought in aren’t the biggest names but getting to know them they remind me a lot of myself; they’ve kind of been outcasts and not really given an opportunity to show what they can do.
On Pacers recent struggles
We only missed the playoffs one time. There’s only one team that wins the championship. Everybody is acting like the world is over. We’ve been through a couple extra things off the court, but we haven’t been through anything that any other team hasn’t been through. Every team goes through situations.
What we did last year, it bothered us because we didn’t win. We want an opportunity to prove our worth. Give this coaching staff, the new players, the players that came in last year a chance to play. That’s all we want.
On his ability to play
My numbers are what they are (19 points, 10 rebounds, 2.4 assists last year). There’s only been 30-40 guys that’s put up the numbers that I’ve put up the last five to six years so it’s not like I’m not producing.
I play to win. I play hurt to win. That’s something we don’t talk about. I never step out on the court and try to tank it, I play hard.
Given the opportunity with a new set of guys, a new staff and the most important thing, a new year, means a lot to myself and my team.
On his new team
We have just as good a chance as Boston and San Antonio. One thing we have this year is guys one through 15 that will play extremely hard every night. The guys can shoot. If everybody does their jobs, we’ll be fine.
I think we need to do a better job understanding what we need to do away from basketball. When you make decisions, you have to put your teammates, the city, everybody in that equation.
