Is Jermaine O’Neal losing patience with the direction of the Phoenix Suns?
The team is at the bottom of the ranks in the Western Conference and recently let coach Alvin Gentry walk out the door, so there appears to be good reason for the 34-year-old center to lose his cool about the situation, as his window of opportunity to win continues to fade.
According to a report that surfaced on Tuesday afternoon, O’Neal came to blows with general manager Lance Blanks about it all. Here are the details, from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
Phoenix Suns center Jermaine O’Neal and general manager Lance Blanks engaged in a blistering, expletive-laced confrontation in the coach’s office on Monday, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
“It was really bad,” one Suns source said Tuesday afternoon.
The confrontation happened after interim coach Lindsey Hunter’s first practice and unfolded within earshot of several Suns players in the locker room, sources said.
O’Neal is frustrated with the direction of the Suns’ rebuild and wanted more clarity on his future this season, a source with knowledge of the confrontation said. At 13-28, the Suns have the worst record in the Western Conference.
O’Neal signed a one-year deal in the offseason with Phoenix.
Just one problem with the reports, though: O’Neal is vehemently denying such events ever took place. Here is what he had to say about the situation on twitter: