Shaquille O’Neal Reflects on Painkiller Use: ‘Was I Addicted?’

Shaquille O’Neal is getting candid about his use of painkillers.

Appearing on the Monday, August 11 episode of the “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” podcast, the former professional basketballer questioned whether he was addicted to painkillers despite his doctor’s concerns.

“So, I have a question,” O’Neal, 53, responded after he was asked if he was ever concerned about having an addiction. “Is ‘addiction’ the chemical effect or are you just taking it? I was having a heated discussion with my doctors, like, ‘You were addicted,’ but I didn’t feel high.”

Shepard, 50, noted that while O’Neal might not have felt “high,” he may have “just felt the absence of pain.”

“Yes. I didn’t know that was addiction,” O’Neal replied.

The ex-NBA star explained that he felt he “needed to play great” rather than simply “good” which was one of the reasons behind him choosing to take painkillers so often.

“I don’t think I was suffering mentally,” he said. “I think if I had a knack, I would take it because I don’t want to feel that knack because we need this game.”

O’Neal added, “You hear stories… ‘Oh, he was addicted.’ I wasn’t that, but I had to have them — so is that addiction?”

The retired athlete has previously opened up about his painkillers use as well as other health woes during an interview with GQ magazine in 2022.

“When you play, you go to the doctor to get checked and a physical, right? But I ain’t played in 11, years so if I’m not playing, what would I go to the doctor for, right?” he told the outlet.

“So when I went back to the doctor there was some stuff I never even knew. They give you those certain words: ‘Hey man, you got sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause hypertension or strokes, you could die.’ I said, ‘What?’ ‘You could die.’ So now I’ve got to sleep with a sleep machine.”

He added that the painkillers and their negative effects on his body also came up during the doctor’s appointment as a concern.

“Then, ‘All those painkillers you were taking, bro? Your kidneys are kind of weak. No more painkillers.’” O’Neal said. “I was dependent upon painkillers — not addicted. Certain days when I couldn’t move, I just popped one or two, just to get me going. But I’m off that now.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).