Jermaine O'Neal returns home to his family
Dallas, Texas - After a really good season with the Golden State Warriors in which Jermaine O'Neal made an impressive post season performance after the drop out of starting center Andrew Bogut, he had a tough decision to make whether to retire or play one more season.
Already last year he was leaning toward signing with the Mavericks before he and his son had a heart to heart.
He said his son asked him to play in Dallas, where the family lives, or retire.
"I had a conversation with him," O'Neal said. "True story. I said, 'Hey, listen. Can you run this house while I'm gone for one more year?' He said, 'Yeah. I can take care of the house one more year.' So everything I have I'm going to put into this one more year."
Usually O'Neal's 8-year-old son cries when O'Neal leaves for work -- which in the past six years has been in Golden State, Phoenix, Boston, Miami and Toronto.
On top of that, his 12-year-old daughter underwent open-heart surgery last year, causing O'Neal to miss several games.
O'Neal really loved playing for the Warriors and he is thankful for this sensational year he had in Oakland, but it was about time for him to move home and have more time to spent with his family. In Dallas he has now the opportunity to compete for at least one more year and be near his wife, son and daughter who will definetly be happy that they doesn't have to miss him any longer.