Jermaine O'Neal shares thoughts on his number and status with Indiana Pacers franchise
Earlier this week, the Indiana Pacers announced that guard Buddy Hield is changing his jersey number from 24 to 7. It's the first time that Hield will wear any number other than 24 in his career.
The change led to a reaction from former Pacers great Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal, often referred to as "J.O.", played for the franchise from 2000 through 2008. He was a six-time All-Star, which is the most in franchise history when looking at just the NBA portion of Pacers records.
O'Neal was excellent for Indiana, and he even finished third in MVP voting in 2003-04. It is one of the best individual seasons in Pacers history, and he concluded his time with the blue and gold averaging 18.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in 514 outings.
Despite the success, his number 7 uniform is not retired for the franchise. The Pacers list of retired numbers is currently only filled by Hall-Of-Famers — Bill Russell (whos number 6 jersey is retired by every team in the NBA), George McGinnis (number 30), Reggie Miller (31), Mel Daniels (34), Roger Brown (35), and Slick Leonard (529, the number of wins Leonard had as the head coach of the Pacers).
McGinnis, Daniels, Brown, and Leonard are more well known for their ABA ties to the franchise. Daniels, Brown, and Leonard were each a part of all three championships the Pacers won in the ABA, and McGinnis was a part of the final two. McGinnis would return to the franchise after they joined the NBA as well.
Miller is the only player with exclusively NBA ties who has his number retired thanks to his time with the Pacers. He spent his entire career with the blue and gold, where he was a five-time All-Star and led the franchise to their only trip to the NBA Finals. He is a legend in Indianapolis.
Chris Mullin (1997-2000) and Alex English (1978-1980) are the only other Hall-Of-Famers who spent multiple seasons in the NBA with the Pacers. They didn't have a long enough tenure with the team to merit a jersey retirement. It is worth noting that not every retired jersey number for Indiana occurred after the player made it into the Hall. Miller, for example, had his number lifted into the rafters in 2006 but wasn't inducted into the Hall Of Fame until 2012.
All of this context is necessary to point to some of the reasons why O'Neal's number is not retired despite his success for the blue and gold. His legacy and resume is just a tick below some other Pacers greats. He was also involved in the Malice At The Palace, one of the darkest days in franchise history. He was suspended 15 games afterwards.
Still, 7 is not retired by the Pacers franchise. Since O'Neal wore it, Al Jefferson, Malcom Brogdon, George Hill, and now Hield have donned the number.
"I love Buddy and the work that he puts in. My statement has nothing to do with him. It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise's very best players on and off the court but yet the Pacers don't," O'Neal siad in a comment on Instagram. "It's been confusing and disappointing to say the least!" The All-Star was replying to a comment from a fan.
One fan replied to O'Neal and mentioned that he didn't win a title with the Pacers. J.O. responded and said, "No one has won a championship in Pacer history so did Reggie or any of the other Pacer greats not deserve to be recognized for their work? I'm guessing you don't know anything about sports."
O'Neal retired in 2014. Hield is about to enter his third season with Indiana. He set the team's franchise record for three pointers made in a season last year and has not announced the reason for changing his number.
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