“All It Did Was Mask the Pain”: 15 Years Into Taking Constant Medicines, Ailing Shaquille O’Neal Uncovers Struggles With Long Term Issues

Being the most dominant center in the league came with certain challenges. Recently, the NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal opened up about his time in the league; how he dealt with injuries when everyone expected him to be a Superman. And how it affected his game on the court. But did it help Shaq in the long run?

Currently, Shaquille O’Neal’s documentary is out and is streaming on HBO. The docuseries covered a wide range of topics and aspects. And it did not seem like O’Neal was holding back any detail about his life.

Shaquille O’Neal on playing through injuries:

In an interview with Esquire, Shaq talked about how he dealt with injuries, all while still trying to be the dominant big in the eyes of the public. The reporter asked him to open up about how he played through injuries.

Shaquille O’Neal mentioned he took a lot of painkillers while dealing with injuries. And it eventually took a toll on his kidneys. Even the doctors told him, “Hey, man, we don’t need you taking that stuff now. You got to be careful.”

So when the reporter asked him if the painkillers got him through games, he said, “I mean, 15 years of that, straight. Sometimes I couldn’t play if I didn’t take it. All it did was mask the pain. So when I’m loose, oh, it’s going to be a great show.”

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“If I got a little ah, that limits me. That’s a couple points. If I got an ah-ah, it’s going to slow me down a lot. If I got an ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, then I’mma be out there looking like Rudy Gobert,” added Shaq.

What motivated Shaq to play through the pain

After his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq dealt with a lot of injuries. On top of that, his issues with being a bit overweight did not help either. The nagging injuries started with a strained right calf.

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After that, knee and hip injuries sidelined O’Neal for a number of games in his career. However, he still went out there and played for his teammates and, more importantly, for the fans. The Lakers legend did mention the importance of playing for fans in the interview.

He said, “Uncle Shaq can’t let the kids down.” The Big Aristotle went on to describe that he would try to play his best even through injuries so that the fans got a show, especially the kids in attendance.

What are your thoughts on Shaq risking his health while playing the game? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!