On the other side of 50, Shaquille O’Neal has been on a different wellness kick. Far from the hulking giant Big Aristotle who tried not to look weak on court, O’Neal has been open about the consequences of a 19-season long NBA career. From the lingering effects of painkillers to his quest to get an “8-pack” and even a hip surgery in between, Shaq’s more open about his health. After turning 54 on March 6, he’s showing a new side as a health advocate with a honest confession.

In a candid appearance on the debut episode of Craig Melvin’s Glass Half Full, O’Neal revealed he’s living with a  Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This silent medical condition can be life-altering and that’s why he launched a nationwide crusade to encourage others to prioritize their respiratory health.

Shaq described the harrowing symptoms that led to his diagnosis, noting that many people often ignore the warning signs. “A lot of times when you lay down to sleep, airways could, you know, close a little bit, partially closed or whatever,” O’Neal explained. “And, you know, symptoms are like you choke at night, you gasp for air at night, you know, you wake up and you’re tired and all these things.”

The big guy’s doing much better after the diagnosis by working closely with medical professionals to manage his safety. “I’ve been talking to my doctor and, you know, I’ve been putting together a plan that’s good for me.”

The 4x NBA champ is now leveraging his massive platform as a spokesperson through a partnership with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to bring awareness to OSA, a disorder that affects 24 million people in the US alone but often goes undiagnosed in those who believe they are simply “heavy snorers.” “I urge people to go get checked out,” O’Neal emphasized, adding that his goal is to turn his personal health journey into a public service.

Shaquille O’Neal used his personal journey to help millions

During the latter part of his career, Shaquille O’Neal was taunted for getting winded just from running 15 seconds on the court. Then he retired in 2011 and realized the chronic fatigue was there even without the grueling NBA schedules. That led to a diagnosis of OSA.

However, the big guy was infamously neglectful of his health and didn’t bother to seek treatment until years later. His quality of life improved with CPAP therapy and left him with regret. “I have this mentality that says, Fight through everything. I wish I would’ve gotten with my doctor back then. I was diagnosed, I think, in 2011—and even when I was diagnosed then, I wasn’t taking it seriously. Now I’m taking it seriously,” Shaq had revealed in a November 2025 interview.

This healthy epiphany is relatively new for Shaq. He relied on painkillers to “fight through everything,” during his NBA career and it gave him liver and kidney damage. He also lived on an unbalanced diet of sandwiches. During the pandemic, he realized that he couldn’t climb the stairs of his home without blacking out from exhaustion.

That spurred him to go on wellness kick. He works with nutritionists, doctors, and bodybuilding trainers to work out an ideal fitness plan for a 7’1″ guy weighing over 300 lbs. He’s managing his other conditions with doctor’s help too and is ensuring others don’t make the same mistakes he did.

Shaquille O’Neal’s comments on Craig Melvin’s podcast mark the latest chapter in a multi-year advocacy partnership with Eli Lilly and Company. Heofficially spearheaded a major Eli Lilly initiative in October 2025 to educate people on OSA.

He was also at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics representing Eli Lilly’s athlete recovery program for Team USA athletes. It all reflects Shaq’s wellness 180 after making the choice to take care of himself.