‘The Word Winning Has a Lot of Pressure’- NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Once Explained Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez’s Internal Motivation That Drove Him to PEDs

Published 07/17/2022, 10:00 AM EDT

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez was one of the cleanest hitters of the game. Baseball might never see a player as good as him. Had he not done a mistake during the early days of his professional career, A-Rod would have been in the same company as Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and a few other Yankees legends.

But it is A-Rod himself who is to blame for ruining his legacy in Major League Baseball. Notably, the former New York Yankees star admitted the consumption of PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) during his Texas Rangers days. And when MLB found him guilty, A-Rod received a punishment of almost two seasons.

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Not to forget, MLB banned A-Rod at his peak. Had he played those two years, A-Rod would have broken many MLB records. After proving guilty, even A-Rod confessed he did a mistake. Talking about the same, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal also shared his opinion.

Shaquille O’Neal believed Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez used PEDs in pressure

In any sports, every athlete desires to play their best game and earn some name and fame. And the same case was with Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez. However, instead of doing preparation and training, the former Yankee chose a different way to shine in the ballparks. And as a result, one can see how hard the punishment he faced was.

While addressing the press in 2009 (when A-Rod proved guilty), the NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal, addressed what led A-Rod to use PEDs. Shaq believed that the extreme pressure to perform in every game might be a reason A-Rod consumed PEDs.

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“I don’t know how this guy was raised. I know the word winning has a lot of pressure and people really can’t handle the pressure. But I am always a cool guy. I would rather just strapping up and just try to beat you,” Shaquille O’Neal said.

This one little mistake caused A-Rod his legacy in Major League baseball. And it could be an important factor that he might never get into the MLB Hall of Fame, despite being one of the best players in the game.

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What are your opinions on Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez’s chance to get the MLB Hall of Fame induction?

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Written by:

Abhishek Kumar is an MLB author at EssentiallySports. After completing his Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Abhishek has been working in the media industry since two years. Before joining EssentiallySports, he previously worked at APN News as a sub-editor, where he has written articles on sports and politics.

Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar

‘The Word Winning Has a Lot of Pressure’- NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Once Explained Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez’s Internal Motivation That Drove Him to PEDs

Shaquille O’Neal believed Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez used PEDs in pressure

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