Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend, has had a remarkable career, winning four championships and being named the Finals MVP three times. However, like many professional athletes, Shaq’s body took a beating, and he had to rely on medication to manage the pain. While he was playing for the Celtics and he couldn’t fight through the pain, Shaq used painkillers.

Unfortunately, Shaq’s dependence on medication eventually turned into an addiction, and he realized that he needed to make some significant changes to his lifestyle to avoid potentially deadly consequences. Having faced so many health hazards himself, Shaq seemed worried recently about another player. 

Shaquille O’Neal is concerned about another 7ft NBA giant

Recently, while talking about this playoffs season and Joel Embiid‘s performance on Inside The NBA, Charles Barkley said, “Joel’s going to dominate it, but it’s going to come down to the perimeter players because Joel’s going to do what he does. He’s probably going to win MVP deservedly so,” to which Earnie Johnson replied, “He’s going to be playing this series with a brace on his knee.” 

Shaquille O’Neal coming from his experience said, “Big fella wearing the knee brace concerns me. Boston will definitely be a lot more motivated. Listen, Hawks only got to worry about one guy. Kind of tough to get him out. I think they took him lightly. The Hawks played well, but Joel Embiid, the MVP, they definitely going to be up for him. James Harden all those guys are definitely going to be up.”

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Shaq continued, “I don’t think it’s going to be an easy series for either team, but big guys wearing knee braces, that concerns me. If I was there, I’d put him in pick and roll all day, every day, test that knee out. And then he has trouble guarding Horford. He really does. I mean, not that he’s guarding him, he has to help. They kick it out to Horford. Every time Horford plays against Embiid, he has a big game.”

Shaq has also been unwell in the past few years. His own health issues will have surely influenced his concern for Embiid.

Shaq battled sleep apnea and overcame it with lifestyle changes

In 2022, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person’s breathing to stop during sleep, putting their life at risk. After consulting a doctor, Shaq was warned that his sleep apnea could lead to serious health problems or even death unless he made significant lifestyle changes. The doctor recommended that Shaq avoid using painkillers, as he used to take a lot of painkillers when he was still playing. 

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Shaq was also recommended to use a CPAP machine to help him sleep. He took this advice seriously and made the necessary changes to his lifestyle to improve his health. Recently, Shaq shared a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed, alarming his fans who feared he had suffered another serious medical incident. However, he later clarified that he had only undergone hip surgery and was doing well.

Shaq’s concern for Embiid, however, is surely understandable. Like the famous giant, we also wish Embiid a healthy recovery!