The basketball icon opens up about his journey with a condition experienced by 30 million Americans, and his message for anyone who’s treated their health as second-string.
Shaquille O’Neal has built a career and a legacy on appearing superhuman. The 53-year-old basketball Hall of Famer has played both a superhero and a genie in films (as children of the ’90s remember well!)—and in real life he’s a four-time NBA champion, current “Inside the NBA” analyst, and musician performing under the pseudonym “DJ Diesel.” Now he’s opening up about a change he’s made that’s been essential to all that.
Through a new national Don’t Sleep on OSA partnership with Lilly, Shaq is raising awareness about moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—a chronic condition in which the upper airway becomes partially or fully blocked during sleep, often leading to choking, gasping, and fatigue from continuous nighttime waking of which the individual is unaware.
O’Neal reveals he was diagnosed years ago with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, something he didn’t take it seriously at first—until waking up exhausted showed him that even his world-class athlete mentality couldn’t out-power his body. An estimated 30 million Americans have sleep apnea…but most people are not diagnosed, according to the American Medical Association, which is why O’Neal has made it his mission to urge others to talk to their doctors.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Shaq, why did you decide to share your experience with sleep apnea, and what was the turning point that made you want to speak up when you were diagnosed and talk about it?
Shaquille O’Neal: I just want to be on a crusade to urge people to go get checked out. [OSA] is a chronic condition where throat muscles kind of relax during sleep, the airway becomes partially or fully blocked, and it can cause a lot of problems. I’d wake up tired, wake up in the middle of the night choking, gasping for air—and I’ve always had the superhuman mentality of, “I don’t need this, I don’t need that.”
But I’m older now and I finally consulted with a doctor with a treatment program that’s right for me. So I urge everybody to go out and get checked for OSA. It’s estimated that 24 million people who are living with obesity and overweight problems suffer from OSA.
The Healthy: The OSA symptoms can seem common or small—like snoring and daytime tiredness—that a lot of people suffer from. What surprised you most about how undiagnosed sleep apnea was affecting your energy, your mood, and your performance?
Shaquille O’Neal: I mean, when you’re an athlete, sleep is important for overall health anyway. But when you’re an athlete, it’s very vital. And like I said, 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.
The Healthy: You’ve been very vocal about fitness and nutrition over the years. Tell us about what your wellness routine looks like right now and what’s changed since your playing days.
Shaquille O’Neal: I definitely try to eat a lot more healthily. I was a guy—I didn’t always have this private chef and all that—so I was a big sandwich guy. And then eating and running—I had a lot of cardio. But now I’m not getting that much cardio and the weight sticks on you, so I just try to eat healthy now.
The Healthy: What’s your approach to living a long, healthy life in terms of physical and mental well-being? What’s a ritual you refuse to skip?
Shaquille O’Neal: Whole-face plunge every morning when I wake up—in a big bowl of ice. I stick my face in it and see how long I can go. The longest I’ve lasted was a minute and 15 seconds. I just try to do things that are non-strenuous. I just try to have fun and just try to eat [healthy] and … to live my best life.
The Healthy: Just the face, not the full-body cold plunge?
Shaquille O’Neal: Just the face.
The Healthy: You’re a mentor to many younger players and fans. How do you talk to the next generation about resilience and taking care of their bodies and minds, especially since we live in this world that never slows down?
Shaquille O’Neal: It’s kind of hard talking to the youngsters now because they have more than what we did, and sometimes they think we’re on an equal playing field. So I just always try to lead by example. If they need advice or information, I’m always there.
The Healthy: Is there a mantra that impacts your view on life?
Shaquille O’Neal: Yeah, my mantra has always been, “Don’t mess up your mother’s house.” I take care of my whole family. So I just try to do everything correctly, say everything correctly, and live my life correctly.
The Healthy: What is that like, when you take care of so many people?
Shaquille O’Neal: It is not a burden. I think it’s a blessing. You just have to respect it and live up to it. I was raised a certain way: always be nice, always help those in need. It’s just all about doing the right thing. If you do the right thing, nothing else matters.
The Healthy: What’s next for you?
Shaquille O’Neal: I want to continue encouraging people—making people laugh, making them smile, making them happy.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
