Jermaine O'Neal

Jermaine L. O'Neal is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. O'Neal, a 6 ft 11 in and a forward-center, he declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th pick of the first round. In less than three years, Jermaine O'Neal went from thinking about the possibility of playing pro basketball to actually getting out on an NBA court and making it a reality. That seemingly impossible goal " achieved just one month after his 18th birthday back in 2001 " made O'Neal the youngest person to play in an NBA game at the time. But making NBA history wasn't enough to satisfy O'Neal. Neither did becoming one of the top players in the league. When considering all he has accomplished, it's still important to him to achieve a goal that he plans to continue working on " long after he has retired his jersey. O'Neal wants to be remembered as a person who gave back.