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During his nearly two decades in the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal brought the pain to opposing teams. During his peak, he was the most destructive force the league has ever seen. The broken backboards could attest to that.
But unbeknownst to many, O'Neal, for all his power and strength, relied a lot on painkillers during his playing days. He admitted it on a recent episode of the “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard” podcast.
The NBA legend said his doctor warned him about his addiction to painkillers, but he refused to budge, which led to “a heated discussion.” O'Neal admitted that he even disobeyed his doctor's prescribed dose.
“I would do homeboy math. If it said take one, I’m taking three,” said the Hall of Fame center.
“It was a club sandwich, fries, and two pills for 19 years.”
O'Neal, who won four titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, labored with various injuries during the latter part of his career. They further limited his mobility and possibly spurred him to take more painkillers. He also struggled with his weight, although his heft helped him become a dominant player.
The three-time Finals MVP retired from the NBA in 2011. He finished with career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.
O'Neal first opened up about his use of “a lot of painkillers” in 2022. He admitted to Esquire's Jack Holmes that his kidneys have been affected by his addiction.
“That's why I don't take any supplements or anything right now. The only thing I take is my little GF-9 stuff. But my kidneys are kind of just chilling out right now. I don't want to flare ‘em back up,” said the NBA icon.
These days, O'Neal is preparing for the new chapter of “Inside the NBA” as they move to ESPN and ABC for the upcoming season.
