Jermaine O’Neal Detonates

Is Jermaine O’Neal stupid? Athletes cannot dictate scenarios. Ask Daunte Culpepper.

“It's time for me to move on. And the Lakers are the team I want Indiana to trade me to.”

“I love Indiana and the fans and we have a lot of nice young talent, but obviously [the Pacers are] in a situation now where they're rebuilding. I told them I can't be in a rebuilding mode right now. I'm at a point in my career where I can't wait another five years to contend. I'm not in a position physically to take in five years of losses and downtime.”

“Larry Bird is a hard man to deal with. He tries to make unfair trades. He wants to gut a team, but the Lakers are trying to get over the hump. I want Indiana to benefit, but with some nice young players and draft picks. I want to make it clear that I don't want to gut a team that I come to because then it'll be like I'm in Indiana all over again. If things don't work, I have an option in my contract next year and I will opt out and become a free agent.”

“Me and Kobe have talked a lot this summer about getting me here. We've been on each other since we were 15, playing AAU basketball, adidas All-American Camp, Nike All-American Camp. It's been a long relationship. We've been trying to make this happen all summer. He understands the desire that I have right now. Mentally, we're on the same page.”

“Kobe's in a position right now where he knows he needs some help. He's the world's best player, and he's got a good group of guys around him, but he needs somebody to come in there and give him some support. He knows I want to get back onto the court and prove the naysayers wrong.”

“If I'm [in LA], I'm going to help this team win a championship. We can get the Lakers to elite level. People need to realize that my last two years weren't down years. I didn't go into the last two seasons healthy at all. I'm healthy now and, at 28, I'm in my prime. The game is slowing down for me. I understand it a lot more. I'm ready to show people what I can do.”

“Kobe's been criticized unfairly. He's in a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation. If he passes too much, they say he's not shooting. If he shoots, he's called selfish. He can go out and score 50 and lose, but if you don't take your shots, you're going to lose anyway. Everybody handles situations differently, and he handled the situation the best that he could. All in all, he wants to put out a team that can win. When you get into your 11th year, your body begins to wear down. You see the window of opportunity closing fast. I understand exactly what he's saying. That's what I told my team. That's why it's best for me to move on. Los Angeles and New Jersey would be my top two teams. I think L.A.'s a real possibility and I think New Jersey's a possibility, too.”

“I love L.A., my wife loves it, my daughter loves it. I tried not to come out here this year. I wanted to stay away from a lot of the talk because it's an emotional time for me to talk about being traded. I always told Reggie [Miller] I'd win a championship for him, and for whatever reason we've had some tough times up there [in Indiana]. But I thought if I came out here [to Los Angeles], it would help persuade me to make the decision that I need to make.”