Shaquille O’Neal Reflects on Addictions During NBA Career

Shaquille O’Neal recently opened up about his past experiences with painkillers and the “lifetime ban on strip clubs” he instituted for himself after facing challenges during his NBA days.

On the “Armchair Expert” podcast with Dax Shepard, the four-time NBA champion revealed that he often needed painkillers to perform at his best, not fully recognizing that he was developing an addiction. “You had to take painkillers to play, you had to,” he reiterated during the conversation.

Shepard then questioned whether O’Neal ever feared the possibility of becoming addicted. O’Neal reflected, “I had a fierce argument with the doctors, who said I was addicted, but I didn’t feel that way… Yes, I felt relief, but I wasn’t aware of the addictive aspects.”

He continued, “I don’t think I was suffering mentally. If there was a solution, I’d take it. I needed to keep playing.” In a candid moment, he mentioned his approach to dosage, noting, “If it says one, I’m thinking three… I had to have them, so is that addiction?”

At 53, O’Neal disclosed that he used anti-inflammatory medications regularly for 19 years during the season, but did not use them over the summer and felt no withdrawal symptoms.

“It wasn’t that I was hiding it… Everyone around me knew. They just didn’t inform my family,” he added.

These days, O’Neal prefers more low-key activities. “I’ve never really been into smoking weed. Hookah is different,” he said. “It keeps me social and grounded. In my younger years, I lost my family because of my lifestyle, so I now avoid clubs, especially gentleman’s clubs.” He emphasized, “If you see me at a club, it’s because I’m DJing. I’ve placed a lifetime ban on myself from those environments.”

O’Neal shares four children with his ex-wife Shaquille Henderson: two sons, Shaleef and Shakir, and two daughters, Amira and Meara. They were married in 2002, but their divorce was finalized in 2011. He also has a daughter named Taahilla from a previous relationship, and Henderson’s son, Miles, carries the O’Neal surname as well.