“I was 17, and she was 16, and I was now facing 10 years” – Jermaine O’Neal recalls how he almost ended up in jail because of having sex with his underage girlfriend originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Before Jermaine O’Neal declared for the NBA Draft, he had dealt with controversy after being sentenced to jail due to the fact that he slept with his 16-year-old girlfriend.
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The former NBA player admitted that it was consensual between both parties, but the state law in Columbia, South Carolina, automatically considers this as illegal because O’Neal’s girlfriend at that time was 16, which led him to be called to court.
“Like because this girl is my girlfriend at that time, cheerleader for two years, met everybody but her dad. I’m at her crib and I don’t lie to my coach saying I had to go home and do something. I’m sleeping over to the crib and he comes home but doesn’t see us do anything. He came home and asked her a question. He said, “Have you guys been sexually active?” And she said yeah,” O’Neal said on the latest episode of the Out The Mud podcast. “Because she’s under the age of 17. I was 17, and she was 16; I was now facing 10 years,” Jermaine surprisingly explained.
What led O’Neal to go pro
The six-time All-Star also mentioned that this incident was what led him to jump straight to the NBA Draft after completing high school at EAU Claire High School of the Arts where he established himself a basketball player. O’Neal escaped jail time and instead did 100 hours of community service to make up for the crime he committed. After getting that in order, it was St. John’s University’s Rick Pitino who encouraged him to declare for the NBA Draft.
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“Shout out to Rick Pinito man. He recruited me himself. Sometimes, you get assistant coaches, but he was coming to the house. And then he sat in my house and told my mother, ‘Look I see everything your son went through, I got relationships in the NBA who say he’s projected between 10th and 17th.’ He said that we’re going to be good with or without you but knowing what I know, go pro and that was the moment,” O’Neal shared.
Signs everywhere
What also pushed O’Neal to take a leap of faith and jump right into the NBA was the signs he felt that popped up during the turbulent time. Aside from avoiding jail time — which was obviously a big and fortunate deal — Jermaine’s SAT site changed which complicated his collegiate application process. On top of that, he was dealing with a hyperextended knee that wouldn’t have allowed him to play college ball right away.
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So, heading straight to the NBA Draft seemed like the more convenient approach for the three-time All-NBA awardee. Luckily for O’Neal, his decision aged well as he was able to play 18 years of professional basketball and made a name for himself in the league.
This all wouldn’t have been possible if he hadn’t dodged a bullet when he was sentenced to prison at the age of 17. Now, players no longer have a chance to go to the league straight from high school, as it’s mandatory to complete at least one year of college basketball to be eligible for the Draft.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.