Today, July 14th is the seventh anniversary of former Boston Celtics big man Jermaine O'Neal signing with the team.
O'Neal, who was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers 17th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft directly from high school, joined the team after stints with the Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. A six-time All-Star in decline before joining Boston, the team had hopes he might reclaim some of his previous numbers, logging 13.6 points and just under seven rebounds per game with the Heat the season prior to joining Boston, and just three seasons removed from averaging nearly 20 points and ten rebounds per game with the Pacers.