Shaquille O’Neal was candid about his use of pain pills and the “lifetime ban on strip clubs” that he sentenced himself to after going off the rails during his NBA career.

During an appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast , the four-time NBA champion recalled having to play through injuries on pain pills in order to “play great” — and explained that he didn’t realize he was addicted.

“You had to be on pain pills to play. You had to,” host Dax Shepard said, to which Shaq confirmed he did.

“Have you ever been scared about any of that addiction wise?” Shepard asked. 3

“I have a question. Is addicting for the chemical effect or are you just taking it?” O’Neal said. “Because I was having a heated discussion with my doctors like, ‘You were addicted.’ But I didn’t feel high… [Yes,

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