Shaquille O'Neal admits shocking addiction and worrying health scares

Shaquille O’Neal, a four-time NBA Champion and dominant force, has revealed a deeply personal struggle that he kept hidden for several years.

An addiction to painkillers that he never once revealed to his family during his memorable playing career.

The 2000 NBA Most Valuable Players discussed the sensitive subject on comedian and actor Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast.

Shaq was no stranger to injuries in his illustrious career, where he ruled the game; the workload on his colossal 7’1 and 325lb frame was often too much.

Shaquille O’Neal played through the pain

The podcast host mentioned that Shaq often played through major injuries instead of sitting out, implying that painkillers were key to his continued minutes on the court.

Shepard claimed: “You were playing through so many injuries, and admitting weakness was never an option for you.

“You had to be on painkillers to play.”

Shaq acknowledged he was suffering in the locker room and on court, but was hesitant to concede addiction.

“I had a heated discussion with my doctors,” he admitted.

“You were addicted, they told me. “But I didn’t feel high, so I didn’t think that’s what addiction was.

“I wasn’t suffering mentally – I just didn’t want to feel the pain because we needed to win the game.”

Shaq was renowned for his enduring and battling late-season playoff grinds, with his partnership with Kobe Bryant one of the best in history.

A hidden addiction from those Shaq loved most

While the team trainers were aware of his addiction, O’Neal stated he never shared the whole truth with his wife, children or even friends.

Shaq, whose controversy seemed to follow in his professional career, made clear: “That wasn’t something I was going to tell my family.”

It’s not the first time the former center turned Inside The NBA analyst has talked candidly about his reliance on painkillers.

He described in a 2022 interview with GQ that he’d only learned about the long-term health impact of the addiction years after his retirement from basketball in 2011.

Shaq acknowledged he’d missed standard regular medical checkups for several years and was in shock upon receiving multiple diagnoses, such as sleep apnea and a high risk of kidney damage from his painkiller abuse.

Medics later enforced: “They said, all those painkillers you were taking, your kidneys are weak now – no more painkillers.”

On his performance reliance on the drugs, Shaq stated: “Back then, if I couldn’t move, I’d take one or two just to get going. I was dependent.”

His hidden struggles were undoubtedly a side-effect of his relentless drive to win – injuries weren’t an option in the playing career of Shaquille O’Neal.

He was one of the most utterly dominant centres ever, winning four NBA titles with the Los Angeles and Miami Heat through the 2000s.