Jermaine O’Neal claims he is one of thirty-three children and comes clean about his last name

Jermaine O’Neal had a solid NBA career that had its fair share of highs and lows. This week, he dropped a stunning revelation that had nothing to do with his brilliance on the court during his 18-year stint in the league.

O’Neal appeared on Thursday’s episode of “Out the Mud Podcast” to tell stories about his life and career with former NBA players Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. During the show, O’Neal made a staggering claim about his family.

“Crazy story—My last name is made up…That’s not even [my dad’s] name,” he told Randolph and Allen. “And here’s the wild part: I’m one of 33 kids. True story.”

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According to Jermaine O'Neal, he didn't know about the extent of his family until he met his father for the first time, when he was 30 years old.

The former Indiana Pacers star also shared that he'd felt resentment towards his dad, who'd appeared to favor his brother.

"I was so upset about the n**ga not choosing me," O'Neal added. "Why not me? You chose my brother. I hear the stories about all the toys, all the this and the that." [Timestamp - 7:25]

Jermaine O'Neal, a six-time NBA All-Star, had previously opened up about his father in a 2020 New York Times article. That said, the claims about his last name and the number of his siblings have only been conveyed by O'Neal this week.

Jermaine O'Neal opens up on chaotic environment of "Malice in the Palace"

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, O'Neal shared his mindset during the infamous "Malice in the Palace" game, in which his Pacers team got involved in an ugly melee involving the Detroit Pistons and several fans.

"Can you imagine being in an arena, and you got on a jersey, and it ain't a soul in the arena to protect you?" O'Neal commented. [Timestamp - 53:53]

According to Jermaine O'Neal, he was surprised that the referees "didn't even separate the teams" as the chaos ensued. He also commented that he was "disappointed" by how the NBA approached the issue, which led to a public relations disaster for the league in 2004.

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Simoun Victor Redoblado

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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