Jermaine O'Neal

For a man who has missed 39 percent of his teams’ games over the past eight seasons, any presumption of improved health is taken with great caution, but O’Neal said he feels five years younger.

He credits Boston doctors for a surgery that healed his left wrist. After getting a testimonial last year from Kobe Bryant, O’Neal went to Germany after the season to undergo Regenokine treatment on both knees, with the left being his primary concern.

The Suns have that visit and former captain Grant Hill to thank for landing O’Neal. Hill, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, was getting the treatment simultaneously and told O’Neal how he should consider the Suns because of the athletic trainers. They have performed wonders on 30-something players with health issues such as Hill, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal and Antonio McDyess.

“I always knew the training staff was phenomenal,” O’Neal said. “That’s the word around the league among players. They really take the body and put three, four years on it by the things they do to the body.”

– Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic