Shaquille O'Neal was never suspended for drug usage throughout his extensive NBA career. He acknowledged a history of battling pain and the potential harm from prolonged use of legal medications. A recounting of a 1996 Olympics drug test claimed a false positive for cocaine, allegedly from a poppy seed muffin. Yet, this discredited the notion, as poppy seeds don't trigger cocaine tests. O'Neal shared experiences of painkiller dependency, taking opioid medications and NSAIDs regularly, admitting to exceeding prescribed doses and being told by his doctor of his addiction.
Shaquille O'Neal openly acknowledged playing through pain during his NBA career and raised concerns about potential kidney and liver damage due to his long-term use of legal anti-inflammatory medications.
O'Neal recounted a false positive test for cocaine ahead of the 1996 Olympics, attributed to eating a poppy seed muffin, although poppy seeds can't cause a cocaine test failure.
O'Neal claimed his doctor indicated he was addicted to painkillers, which led to discussions about his usage while emphasizing, "I would do homeboy math; if it said take one, I'm taking three."
He toggled between opioid painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories throughout his career, stating, "It was a club sandwich, fries and two pills for 19 years."
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