Larry Bird
Even though it has been five months since Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Toronto Raptors, the big man is apparently still holding a grudge against Larry Bird and his former franchise.
“I really didn’t feel wanted from a management standpoint of view,” O’Neal told Indianapolis Star. “There were comments made behind the scenes. You just want to feel support.
“If you don’t have a relationship with the person [Larry Bird] that runs the team, you want to move on. Nobody can do their best job if they don’t feel like they’re wanted.”
Bird had also mentioned at the start of last year’s training camp that the Pacers have been lacking a leader ever since Reggie Miller retired — something that O’Neal did not appreciate to hear.
“I understood he was talking about me when he made comments like that,” O’Neal said. “There’s not many players that would want to stay in a situation like that.”