LEXINGTON, S.C. — Back in the day, Jermaine O’Neal was must see TV when he played for Eau Claire. He capped off his senior season by helping the Shamrocks win the 1996 3A state championship. A few months later, he was chosen with the 17th overall selection of the NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers.
That was the start of an 18-year NBA career which included six All-Star Game selections.
It has been nearly a decade since O’Neal last played but he has continued to stay involved in the game. O’Neal is the head coach of Dynamic Prep which is based in Irving, Texas.
On Thursday, O’Neal was back in the Midlands as he led his team to a 65-57 victory over Combine Academy in the Chick-fil-A Classic.
A member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, O’Neal currently resides in the Dallas area. His son, Jermaine O’Neal, Jr., is a member of Dynamic Prep and is even wearing the #7 jersey, a number his dad wore during his NBA days.