“It bothered me… that the Pacers didn’t step up and say what they [should’ve] said, ” O’Neal said—nearly twenty years after the Malice at the Palace. For Jermaine O’Neal, the 2004 brawl in Detroit wasn’t the end of his NBA story. It was Indiana’s silence afterward, no teammate, coach, or executive defending him, that crushed his spirit. Now he’s furious, and a surge of fans are rallying behind his brutal truth against a $3.6 billion franchise.

Anyone who followed the NBA in the 2000s remembers it frame by frame. To recap: it began with a heated exchange between Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) and Ben Wallace. The catalyst, however, was a Pistons fan hurling a drink from the stands. Artest charged into the stands, Stephen Jackson marched in to back him, and O’Neal punched a fan in the jaw to defend his teammate. More than two decades later, it still feels fresh in memory. All three Pacers stars paid a price in different ways. O’Neal, however, endured an experience that made him hate basketball itself.

“We show up every day to these teams, and we try to be the best we can be for these teams. And at the end of the day, we have a responsibility for them, right? Where’s the responsibility for them to us? Like, they left me out there to dry,” O’Neal opened up about his ordeals following the infamous brawl. Further, during his appearance on Out The Mud Podcast, Jermaine O’Neal complained that the NBA never prioritized the footage or context as it should have. However, his biggest grievance remains with his former team, the Pacers.

The former NBA star highlighted his contribution to the Pacers off the court, apart from giving his blood and sweat on the hardwood. Whether it be showing up at community drives or starting the All-Star Game so the Indy kids feel represented, O’Neal’s three NBA Community Assist Awards show his commitment towards Indiana and not just the Pacers. However, Jermaine O’Neal feels the Pacers failed to reciprocate when it mattered the most.

“I was so hurt… When they didn’t say anything… Suit up for me. Like, I suit up for you… I treated your community like I was from the community. I didn’t have to do any of that… So when you think how I think, like, my idea is, like, okay, now they abandoning me. That was crushing for me… I would tell you I lost all love for basketball… I did not love basketball the rest of my career… And that’s when my body started to break down,” O’Neal said. Now, after O’Neal’s heartfelt admission, fans are sharply divided. So let’s have a closer look at their arguments.

Fans react to Jermaine O’Neal’s honest opinion about the Pacers

One fan echoed the exact sentiments O’Neal expressed during his appearance on the podcast. “Nothing wakes you up faster than being held over the fire then realizing the ppl you go hard for no matter they right or wrong doesn’t have the same energy for you when you really need all hands on deck,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, another YT user highlighted how the Pacers caused Jermaine O’Neal’s decline in the league. “Pacers did their franchise player dirty Jermaine O’Neal never bounced back after that he was a Top PF in the league at that time,” he wrote. Well, the opinion might not exactly be right here as O’Neal averaged close to 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in the season next two seasons of Malice in Palace in season 2004-05. Nevertheless, the sentiment was spot-on in supporting O’Neal. The stigma from the incident arguably affected how teams viewed him afterward.

And let’s not forget that in addition to the NBA’s punishment of a 15-game suspension and fine, he dealt with legal action, public backlash, and long-term damage to his reputation. No wonder that after the 6x All-Star’s confession, even some of the Pacers fans are siding with J.O. “I didn’t know the Pacers did him dirty like this I love my Pacers but this is incredibly wrong for what day did…” wrote one.

However, not everyone in the comment section was as sympathetic with Jermaine O’Neal in the comments section. “No one owes you anything man it’s a business you’re an employee…” wrote one, seemingly in response to O’Neal’s claim that NBA owed him support in the whole situation. 

Yet another fan showed no sympathy for an incident that cost a mere 15 games in suspension and roughly $4.1 million in salary. “Hard to feel sorry for someone getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball. Sounds like excuses for past mistakes,” he wrote. Clearly, there is a section of fans lashing out against the Pacers over how they treated O’Neal. But others feel the six-time All-Star is bringing up old wounds for no reason. Which side are you on?