In an act of incredible gratitude and humility, Indiana Pacers legend Jermaine O’Neal has once again shown why he’s beloved both on and off the court.
The former NBA All-Star and one of the Pacers’ most decorated big men reportedly paid $9.2 million to fully pay off the mortgage and back taxes on his childhood coach’s home in Columbia, South Carolina — after learning the man who helped raise him was days away from foreclosure.
The gesture came to light after court documents were filed transferring the deed to the coach’s name debt-free, with O’Neal listed as the benefactor. When asked about it, O’Neal initially declined to comment but later shared a few words at an event in Indianapolis:
“Without him, there is no me. He opened the gym when nobody else would. He kept me off the streets. He taught me what it meant to be a man before I even understood the game,” O’Neal said. “How could I not step up for him when he needed me most?”
According to close family friends, O’Neal had stayed in touch with Coach Terrence Mitchell ever since he left for the NBA as a teenager. Over the years, O’Neal credited Mitchell for shaping his work ethic, discipline, and love of basketball — often sending him tickets, jerseys, and Christmas gifts.
But this time, it was different. The coach, now in his late 60s and dealing with mounting medical bills, was just weeks away from losing his longtime home — the same house where O’Neal would often crash after long practices and late-night talks about life.
Once O’Neal got word of the situation, he acted immediately. Neighbors say a moving truck that had been parked outside the home for days quietly drove off after news of the payment broke.
Fans flooded social media with admiration, calling it one of the most touching gestures they’ve seen from an NBA star. One Pacers fan wrote: “Jermaine didn’t just protect the paint — he protects the people who matter. That’s what makes him a legend.”
For O’Neal, though, the moment wasn’t about headlines. As he told reporters with a quiet smile:
“He saved my life back then. All I did was return the favor.”
