Jermaine O’Neal was the truth.The Indiana big man was one of the most underrated stars of the 2000s.O’Neal is one of the best players in Pacers franchise historyGettyO’Neal played for seven different teams over the course of his 18-year NBA career, but he rose to fame with Indiana.During his eight seasons with the Pacers, O’Neal was a six-time All-Star and made All-NBA three times, including being the league’s Most Improved Player in 2002.When he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick back in the 1996 draft, he was just 17 years old.He played his first game at the age of 18, making him the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game at the time.The Blazers traded O’Neal to the Pacers and his career flourished upon arrival.However, a black eye (no pun intended) on his time in Indiana was the infamous Malice at the Palace.The brawl that shook the NBA world was between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons players and fans.It was a dark moment for the NBA, and one that O’Neal was at the center of. O’Neal initially received a 25-game suspension for punching a fan in the jaw, but appealed the punishment, and had it reduced to 15.The Malice at the Palace was one of the darkest moments in NBA historyGettyO’Neal (left), Artest (centre) and Al Harrington (right) formed a tough lineup while in IndianaO’Neal became the face of the franchise for a brief momentGettyHis teammate, Ron Artest, was suspended for the rest of the season, including the postseason.Artest was suspended for a total of 86 games, and lost nearly $5million for the incident.O’Neal lost $1,750,000 for his role.That wasn’t the end of O’Neal’s story, as he was able to rehabilitate his image and have many more successful years in the Association and with Indiana in particular.Today he has a reported net worth of $50m.So he’s doing just fine.He recently appeared on the Out the Mud podcast and dropped a pretty big bombshell. NBA's GreatestGreatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor WembanyamaBest players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurusMichael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totalsO’Neal isn’t actually his last name.“When my mother was pregnant with me, he [father] dipped,” O’Neal said.“Crazy story, my last name is made up… Not even his name. I’m one of 33 kids, true story. I met 17 of them when he died.“So, I met him at 30, died 13 months later. So, I spent my whole life without really knowing him.”While his real last name remains a mystery, what is a hard fact, is that O’Neal was one of the better big men of the 2000s, and as his Pacers battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year’s NBA Finals, it’s a good time to remember the underrated and rich history that is woven in the Indiana franchise.