“My mother, she was the force behind everything… She taught me a lot; she taught me to value everything.” That was Jermaine O’Neal a few weeks ago, opening up about a childhood defined by struggle. He was a kid who grew up without a father, one of 33 siblings from a man he barely knew, with a last name that was literally “made up.” He learned early on what it meant to fight for everything. So, when the time came this week for his own son to leave the nest, the moment was about more than just a kid going off to college. It was about breaking a cycle. It was about a father giving his son the support he never had.

In a deeply emotional and heartfelt Instagram post, the six-time NBA All-Star shared a glimpse into that moment. He was moving his son, Jermaine O’Neal Jr., into his college apartment, the next step in a journey that O’Neal Sr has clearly cherished every moment of. The pride in his words was palpable, a raw, unfiltered look at a father’s love.

“Well, my young bull has officially left the nest and is stepping into a new chapter moving into his college apartment and chasing his dream,” O’Neal wrote, alongside a gallery of photos showing his son unpacking and sharing a hug with his mom. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, @jermaineonealjr. Watching you grow into the man you are today has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. You’ve worked for this moment, and now it’s time to lock in, stay focused, and continue building toward your ultimate goal.”

He also made sure to give credit to his wife, Mesha, for her role in their son’s journey, writing, “Big shout to your mom, @meshao, for being a rock throughout this journey, her love and support have meant everything.” And in a classic, self-deprecating dad move, he ended the post with a hilarious P.S.: “I’m here helping with the move in but didnt make any of he pictures 🤦🏾‍♂️!”

For fans who have followed O’Neal’s career, this public display of fatherly love is especially poignant. In a recent podcast appearance, he opened up about the pain of his own upbringing. “When my mother was pregnant with me, he [father] dipped,” O’Neal revealed. “Crazy story, my last name is made up… Not even his name. I’m one of 33 kids, true story. I met 17 of them when he died.” It’s a story of abandonment and survival, and it provides a powerful context for the immense pride he feels in seeing his son, a four-star recruit and the 88th-ranked player in the ESPN 100, head off to SMU to chase his own basketball dream—a dream built on a foundation of love and support that Jermaine himself had to fight to create.

And Jermaine has been there for every step. Just this past February, after Jermaine Jr. led his high school team, Dynamic Prep, to a state championship, the first picture he posted on Instagram was an emotional shot of him hugging his dad, the trophy in hand. The caption was a lyric from the rapper Nino Man: “I think im destined for greatness, or maybe im goin insane.” His father’s comment on the post said it all: ‘You are up next! Trust that my young Bull! Love you JR!’

From a scared high school kid to a proud father, Jermaine O’Neal’s journey comes full circle

Jermaine’s journey to the NBA was anything but easy. O’Neal was one of the first modern players to make the jump directly from high school to the pros, a rare and risky move back in 1996. And he did it in what he still believes is the greatest draft class of all time. “I think my draft class is the best class,” he once said, rattling off a list of legends. “Marbury, Anton Walker, Ray Allen, [Peja] Stojakovic, Steve Nash, AI, Camby… It was deep, bruh.”

But while he was surrounded by future Hall of Famers, O’Neal was just a 17-year-old kid from South Carolina, and he was terrified. “The first thing that jumped out to me was strength,” he recalled of his first pre-draft workouts. “I was 217 coming out of high school. We had no weight room… I was like damn these n—– was strong. So you had to use your quickness and everything. It was one of those things where I felt like, from a talent perspective, I was good and from a physical perspective, I knew I needed some work because they were just different.”

He was a kid trying to survive in a league of men, a journey he had to figure out every step of the way, largely on his own. Now, 29 years later, he’s watching his own son embark on that same journey, but from a place of strength and stability that he never had. He’s not just a father, he’s a mentor, a guide, a man who has been through the fire and can now show his son the way.

It’s that balance of love and tough, real-world advice that defines their relationship.“My dad always reminds me that you’re never really safe,” Jermaine O’Neal Jr. said. “He tells me, ‘You’re always kind of one foot in, one foot out. College coaches aren’t waiting on you. If you make it to the league, they aren’t waiting either. There’s a new class coming in every year… There’s always someone coming to take your job.’ That kind of pressure, he’s lived it. And now he’s helping me stay focused through it.”

It’s a beautiful, full-circle moment. The scared kid from 1996 is now the proud father, the man who broke the cycle and built a foundation for his own son to succeed. The heartfelt note on Instagram wasn’t just a goodbye; it showed his entire life’s work. The journey continues, indeed.