Shaquille O’Neal was by no means suspended for drug use of any form throughout his embellished 19-year NBA profession. The rugged 7-foot-1, 325-pound Corridor of Fame heart freely acknowledged taking part in via ache and brazenly fearful about harm to his kidneys and liver from his extended use of authorized anti-inflammatory medicines.
He additionally lately recounted on “Contained in the NBA” a weird story about testing optimistic for cocaine forward of the 1996 Olympics. The consequence was thrown out — and by no means publicized — as a result of O’Neal advised officers he’d eaten a poppy seed muffin shortly earlier than the check.
By no means thoughts that whereas poppy seeds can set off a false optimistic check for opioids akin to morphine or codeine, they will’t do the identical for cocaine, which is recognized in drug exams by the presence of its main metabolite, benzoylecgonine.
So in his recounting of an episode from almost 30 years in the past, O’Neal was mistaken both in regards to the unlawful substance for which he examined optimistic or about what he ingested that brought about the false optimistic. Maybe he simply meant to say codeine relatively than cocaine.
Level being, recollections will be fuzzy, and O’Neal isn’t proof against such fuzziness, one thing to bear in mind when listening to the four-time NBA champion ‘fess as much as his use of painkillers on this week’s “Armchair Professional With Dax Shepard” podcast.
O’Neal toggled between referring to opioid painkillers akin to oxycodone and highly effective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories akin to Indocin. He mentioned he used opioids when recovering from accidents and took NSAIDs all through his profession.
However he additionally mentioned his physician advised him he was hooked on painkillers, resulting in “a heated dialogue.” O’Neal didn’t really feel excessive, he mentioned, even when he would take greater than the prescribed dose. “I might do homeboy math,” he mentioned. “If it mentioned take one, I’m taking three.”
“It was a membership sandwich, fries and two drugs for 19 years.”
O’Neal first mentioned painkillers throughout his four-part HBO documentary “Shaq,” which premiered in 2022, and on the podcast Shepard principally requested him to develop on what he’d mentioned then in regards to the potential harm to inside organs, the warnings from docs and his present regrets.
Within the documentary, O’Neal had this to say: “Typically I couldn’t play if I didn’t take it. All it did was masks the ache…. Had a number of painkillers. I received restricted kidney stuff now happening. I don’t have the total vary, however I took so many painkillers that [doctors are] saying, ‘Hey, man, we don’t want you taking that stuff now. You bought to watch out.’
“My kidneys are sort of simply chilling out proper now,” he continued. “I don’t wish to flare ‘em again up.”
Each opioids and NSAIDs could cause kidney and liver harm, and O’Neal didn’t specify on the podcast which substances brought about him essentially the most concern. He mentioned he struggled with accepting that he might need an dependancy, finally concluding, “I needed to have them. So, is that dependancy?”
And he hid the usage of painkillers from his spouse and children, though he mentioned “the trainers knew.”
Way back to 2000 — a yr when O’Neal was the NBA‘s most precious participant and led the Lakers to the primary of three consecutive championships — he expressed concern in regards to the risks of anti-inflammatories.
O’Neal suspected that the kidney illness that threatened the lifetime of fellow NBA star Alonzo Mourning is likely to be the results of anti-inflammatories and mentioned he would cease taking them.
Two years later, nevertheless, O’Neal had resumed NSAID use. After a abdomen ailment he initially believed was an ulcer, diagnostic exams have been accomplished on his kidneys and liver.
He described the outcomes to The Instances thusly: “I’m not nice, however I’m cool.”
O’Neal was taking part in with a badly aching arthritic large toe, a sprained wrist and a handful of unlisted bangs and bruises. He wanted the drugs, though it was unclear whether or not he was referring to painkillers, anti-inflammatories or each.
“I attempted to remain off of them, but when I don’t take them I can’t transfer or play,” he mentioned in 2002. “I used to be taking them. When my abdomen was giving me issues I needed to get the check.”
O’Neal has lengthy championed nonprescription technique of addressing ache. He’s been the spokesperson for the topical analgesic Icy Scorching since 2003 and he spoke on Capitol Hill in 2016, plugging efforts to provide police higher instruments to acknowledge when drivers are beneath the affect of medicine. He pledged two years of funding for officers to change into drug recognition consultants.
O’Neal’s feedback on Shepard’s podcast are a transparent indication that his use of painkillers and NSAIDs continues to weigh closely on his thoughts. He added that as of late he relaxes with a distinct vice: a hookah.
“I’ve by no means been into weed,” he mentioned. “Hookah, it allows me to observe the routine of sit your ass down.”
