The four-time NBA champion reflects on how he's improving his life—and how he hopes to help others
Shaquille O’Neal has no problem talking at length about basketball. And why would he? The former professional player’s on-court career spanned nearly 20 years across six NBA teams before he turned his focus to off-court analysis. But as comfortable as he is doling out observations as a commentator on Inside the NBA, there’s one aspect of the game that has him completely stumped.
“I haven’t figured out fantasy drafts,” he tells Reader’s Digest, declining a request for his insider picks this year. “I tried one time, but I didn’t know what I was doing.” It’s a rare sports-related gap for the Hall of Famer. Fans will forgive him, of course, and with the NBA season already underway, he’s likely too busy keeping a close eye on the action to make any wild predictions.
Shaq once dominated the game, but as he’s entered a new chapter in life, he’s realizing his health is just as important as his performance in the arena used to be—and that even champions face challenges. He’s learned to better listen to his body, and these days, he’s all about using his influence to make a difference. He’s partnering with Eli Lilly to raise awareness for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common but disruptive disorder in which a person’s airway repeatedly becomes partially or completely blocked while sleeping. He discovered he battled the condition in 2011 while he was with the Boston Celtics.
“There are a lot of guys like me who say, ‘No, no, it’s whatever, I’m just getting older,'” he explains. “I urge everybody to get to the doctor and check themselves, and come up with a plan.”
That same take-action mindset and practical approach guides Shaq in every part of his life. In this exclusive interview, the sports and pop-culture icon shares his thoughts on the power of visualization, overcoming daily challenges, the new NBA season and more.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Reader’s Digest: You’re known for being cool, calm and collected on the court. How did you accomplish that?
Shaquille O’Neal: For me, coming up, I really learned self-meditation. I like to label it as a “dreamful attraction.” So, a lot of things that I was going through, I would just meditate on it and dream about it. There are many, many ways to get into your own rhythm, so I don’t know if my way of thinking would work for everybody, but for me, it’s just a whole bunch of self-meditating and just trying to do and say the right thing.
Reader’s Digest: What is that process like for you?
Shaquille O’Neal: I would just sit in a quiet place, close my eyes and think about the things I wanted to accomplish. And I would actually try to force myself to see it.
Reader’s Digest: Do you ever get anxious before bed, and how do you put those anxieties aside to make sure you get a good night’s sleep?
Shaquille O’Neal: Well, whenever I can’t sleep, I just start thinking about good times. For example, last night I was just thinking about all the championship parades with me and Kobe Bryant. And I actually saw us doing the things we did before—riding in the car, celebrating, people in the buildings waving their hands—and then before I knew it, it was 9 a.m.
Reader’s Digest: Focusing on the positive in life is a good approach. But when you do experience an interruption during your day, how do you bounce back from that?
Shaquille O’Neal: It depends on what the interruption is. You know, when you’re talented as a great athlete, you have to have great reflexes. So, a lot of times if I’m doing something and I get tilted off course, I can always regain focus and put myself back on track. I don’t really think about it—you’ve just got to have great reactions.
Reader’s Digest: How does being a former NBA player help you as an analyst of the game today?
Shaquille O’Neal: I like to say I have the same mindset that the players have. I think I know what players are feeling in certain situations, and I think I know what they should do to get to that next level. I try not to be as critical as my counterparts, but I just try to speak from somebody that has experience.
Reader’s Digest: What are you most looking forward to in this year’s NBA season?
Shaquille O’Neal: The storylines. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 champs, but then you have Boston saying—Jayson Tatum saying—”Well, if I didn’t get hurt, we could’ve beat them.” Then you have Donovan Mitchell [of the Cleveland Cavaliers] saying the same thing, and the Indiana Pacers too. So it’s a bunch of teams that felt like they should’ve been the champions, and they’re going to be playing with chips on their shoulders. OKC was the hunter; now they’ll become the hunted. I’m anxious to see how they react to that.
Reader’s Digest: You’ve teamed up with Lilly to raise awareness for obstructive sleep apnea. What made you want to get involved with that?
Shaquille O’Neal: As a Lilly spokesperson, I want to help people become aware of OSA, which stands for obstructive sleep apnea. I found out when I was playing in Boston that I have moderate sleep apnea. I was tired, and I did a Harvard study with a specialist. OSA caused some complications, and I started talking to my doctor about it. Now, I just want to help people get aware of it because a lot of us guys think we’re superhuman. We’ll say, “It’s not this, it’s not that.” But I think everyone should consult a doctor and really learn about OSA.
Reader’s Digest: What was the treatment process like for you?
Shaquille O’Neal: To be honest, remember how I talked about being superhuman? I had some answers about obstructive sleep apnea, but never really paid attention to them. But now, at 53, I’m really starting to pay it more mind, and I’m working with my doctor to come up with a plan for me. That’s why I teamed up with Lilly as a spokesperson. Like I said, I just want to help raise awareness for people who may not realize they have OSA. And the first step is talking to your doctor if you suspect it or someone tells you that you might have this issue.
Rapid response with Shaquille O’Neal
Reader’s Digest: It’s time for a few quick takes if you’re game! Dogs or cats?
Shaquille O’Neal: Dogs, because I’m in the fraternity called Omega Psi Phi, and they call us “Que Dogs.”
Reader’s Digest: Aisle or window?
Shaquille O’Neal: Window. I like to see what’s going on.
Reader’s Digest: Mornings or nights?
Shaquille O’Neal: Nights, because I don’t usually work nights, and I get to watch Netflix, Apple TV or Amazon Prime.
Reader’s Digest: Favorite breakfast food?
Shaquille O’Neal: Sausage and cheese omelet.
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Shaquille O’Neal: Save money. When you grow up not having much and then you get a lot, you want all the toys. Every toy I ever imagined, I wanted—and I purchased it. And I really didn’t need it. Invest money wisely. It doesn’t last forever.
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