Jermaine O’Neal was one of the best talents in the league. He had a great career. But one incident cut deeper than any other: the Malice at the Palace brawl. He also grappled with his father’s absence and the personal demons that followed. He was suspended as well. Now, over two decades later, O’Neal still recalls that chaotic night. The NBA’s response was swift and severe, and O’Neal felt its impact more than most. Today, one memory stands out above all.

In the aftermath, he recalled feeling abandoned by the Pacers, who did little to defend him.. “The Pacers are special to me…I was hurt, bro, when they didn’t say anything. Suit up for me like I suit up for you. Suit up for me like I suit up for your community,” O’Neal said. The league responded strongly by suspending nine players, including Jermaine O’Neal. He was suspended for 25 games. While he admitted that the players should have been fined, O’Neal didn’t agree with his 25-game suspension.

He appealed immediately, arguing he acted in defense of Anthony Johnson. The court listened to him, and his suspension was reduced to 15 games. “As soon as that judge said he had the right to do what he did and he should have never been suspended, the NBA should have been like okay,” he shared.

It was an altercation involving players from both teams, and even fans. With drinks and punches thrown around, the fight was finally stopped when the police intervened. Speaking of the situation, he said, “We are all held separately so my case is different than Ron’s (Metta World Peace) and Jacks (Stephen Jackson) right but at the same time it felt like I was the one that beared the burden of it.”

He also recalled how none of the players were allowed to speak at the time because of the ongoing cases. At age 25, he was dealing not only with the incident but also with his team’s reaction. He opened up about the incident during the 2021 Untold documentary.

During the podcast, the former NBA player also shared how for most of his career, the former Indiana Pacers player didn’t have his father by his side.

What is the story behind Jermaine O’Neal’s name?

Jermaine O’Neal and his older brother, Clifford, were raised in Columbia, South Carolina, by their mother, Angela Ocean, whom he affectionately refers to as his “rock.” Ocean worked multiple jobs to support the family, instilling in her sons a fierce independence and work ethic from an early age. During the conversation, O’Neal shared that he comes from a large family and has 33 siblings. He also revealed that his name is a “made-up one.” For a long time, he wondered why his father left him. His father stayed around the time his older brother Clifford was 2 years old. He left before O’Neal was born.

For years, Jermaine grew up wondering why his father left and what family ties he might be missing; he only discovered the truth at age 30, thirteen years into his NBA career. In a revealing appearance on the Out the Mud podcast, O’Neal disclosed that his father had been incarcerated for m—– at one point, which further complicated any chance of growing up together. At the funeral, Jermaine met 17 half-siblings for the first time, realizing he had been unaware of two-thirds of his family.

In interviews following the revelation of his familial roots, he expressed gratitude for his NBA teams’ support but lamented that no one truly understood the loneliness beneath his All-Star exterior. Today, Jermaine considers being a father his greatest achievement: he vows to be fully present for his own children. O’Neal wants to ensure that, unlike him, they never wonder why their dad disappeared.