Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal‘s 19th season in the league was a tough one for him. It was a time when he was battling a life-threatening addiction and it ultimately kickstarted the conclusion of his career. After a two-month absence from the game, Shaq returned to the court on April 3, 2011, to play for the Boston Celtics in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Quite recently, Shaq has divulged some lesser-known details about his final season with the Boston Celtics, shedding light on certain aspects that had remained opaque until now. 

Despite his injury, the Big Diesel managed to score six points in the game in a little over five minutes before limping off the court. Although his injury was initially listed as a strained calf, O’Neal later revealed that it was his Achilles tendon flaring up again. It was these kinds of painful experiences on the hardwood that prompted Shaq’s prolonged dealings with painkillers.

The battle with painkiller addiction and its impact on Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal faced a tough challenge during his time with the Boston Celtics. The Big Diesel struggled with a recurring Achilles tendon injury that prevented him from fulfilling the terms of his contract. The injury initially occurred in December 2010, and Shaq was only able to participate in two out of the remaining 35 regular season games.

In his final season with the Celtics, Shaq played in only 37 games, averaging 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, in stark contrast to his usual performance standards. It was clear that the injury had taken its toll on the iconic player, spelling the denouement of his illustrious career.

O’Neal had been pushing himself to the limit throughout his career to keep performing at the highest level. In the process, he took lots of medication to fight through the pain and believed that he would not be able to play well without it.

But these medications had become an addiction that threatened to end his life later on. After his retirement, Shaq once admitted that he hadn’t seen a doctor in 11 years. However, he was shocked to learn from the doctor during a long-due doctor’s appointment that there was a possibility he could die from his painkiller addiction. The doctor told him, “All those painkillers you were taking, bro? Your kidneys are kind of weak. No more painkillers.” This revelation made him realize that he needed to take control of his health and address his addiction.

Shaq’s brave confession: battling painkiller addiction during his final season

In his HBO documentary in 2022, Shaquille O’Neal talked about his relapse into addiction to painkillers during the end of his career. He admitted to using opiods to cope with the pain and acknowledged that he knew his time in the league was up. He said, “Boston already had their big three, I was just gonna be another guy coming up the bench, and I knew I was gonna have a career-ending injury. I knew it. The day I busted my Achilles, I shot it up. I confess, and it felt really good. You know I was five for five that game. You go back and look, I am up and under and then falling, and then boom, it just popped.”

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Shaq’s addiction to painkillers was not uncommon in professional sports. Many athletes turn to drugs to cope with the pain of injuries and to keep performing at their best. However, his admission and willingness to address his addiction head-on is a testament to his strength and determination to take control of his life.