18-10-10 BLOCKS
"I've been frustrated with the way I've been shooting the ball, but blocking those shots will allow me to sleep tonight," he said. "But that's only for tonight. Tomorrow, it's back into the gym to work on my shot some more."
"I just wanted to swing at everything I could get at," he said. "The last few games, I've really started to feel good and I feel my timing is really coming around. It was a bit frustrating earlier in the season with my (knee) injury, but I'm really starting to feel good out there."
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O'Neal, 24, is the youngest Pacers player ever to start. The only other player so honored was Reggie Miller, who started once (1995) in his five appearances. O'Neal will be making his second All-Star appearance; he had seven points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench last year.
“Last year was extremely exciting for me. The first one is always the best one," O'Neal said. "This year is more of, you know, I expect the outside stuff. So, it’s not really one of those situations where I’m going to go out and get a bottle of champagne and toast to my family.
"But overall I’ve got to definitely thank the fans for voting for me, putting me in a position where I can be a starter. Oh, that means a lot to me. That part means a lot to me that the fans are definitely noticing the type of player that I’ve become. That’s very important to me."
O'Neal will join Isiah Thomas, who will serve as head coach of the Eastern Conference team. When reserves are announced next Tuesday, they hope to be joined by at least one other member of the Pacers. Center Brad Miller and forward Ron Artest are considered the strongest candidates for selection in voting by the conference's coaches.
The first stop for O'Neal will be a trip to his hometown of Columbia, SC, where his jersey will be retired by Eau Claire High on Feb. 5.
"That's really exciting to me," O'Neal said. "That's never happened at my high school. It's an honor for me to go home and see some familiar faces and get my jersey retired."
O'Neal hopes to be able to enjoy the All-Star Weekend experience more this time around by being more selective when it comes to adding events and appearances to his daily schedule.
"I think I did too much last year," he said. "Off the court, I did a lot of things because it was my first All-Star Game and I wanted people to know me and understand me but this year, I'm going to do some stuff for Nike, maybe shoot a commercial, and just play in the game.
Even with all the hype, O'Neal has managed to keep the All-Star experience in perspective.
GOOD SHIT!!