Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal said recently that his constant consumption of anti-inflammatory medicine concerned him so much that he recently had his kidneys and liver diagnosed Tim Brown of the Los Angeles Times is reporting. While satisfied with the results, Shaq did hint that his organs had suffered some damage. "I'm not great," he said, "but I'm cool." He has been taking tablets called ‘Indocin’ for most of the season despite being convinced that Alonzo Mourning’s kidney ailment was caused by anti-inflammatories, but Shaq also added that without them he wouldn’t be able to play. "I tried to stay off of them, but if I don't take them I can't move or play," he said. "I was taking them. When my stomach was giving me problems I had to get the test, the liver and kidney tests. They came back OK. Not great, but they came back OK." The move comes two years since O’Neal was sworn off using powerful anti-inflammatory drugs in light of Mourning’s kidney disease. O’Neal had an upset stomach which he admits ‘felt different’, prompting him to have the tests to guage what kind of condition his organs were in. "I thought I had an ulcer. My stomach was messed up," O’Neal told the Daily News. While Mourning is back in the NBA and is playing well, he is not the dominant force in the paint that he used to be. O’Neal and Mourning have never been close, but Mourning’s epic battle and O’Neal’s scare resulting in Shaq having a lot of respect for the starting center of the Miami Heat. "Obviously, 'Zo is a different player. I'm sure he gets fatigued a little bit faster, because of all the medicine he's taking," O'Neal said. "But he's a bigger man than I am. He has a lot of courage. I think, if I would have had something like that, I don't know what I would have done. But for him to keep playing and still try to win a championship just shows he's a guy with a big heart, and I commend him for that." Well... maybe the big guy's body is failing him already Hate to see that happen to a great player but it gives the rest of the league hope. If Shaq misses the playoffs for one reason or another it'll be remembered as the Championship won when Shaq was out lol
Could be like what the Spurs go through each and every night as the team who won the Nba championship with a * next to the title because it was not a full season. You think that does not haunt them? Or how about the Bulls fan who insist the reason Rockets won the championship back to back was because Jordan was not playing. Even though we had bulls# anyhow. So anytime Shaq or kobe go down that will be the excuse by all if someone else wins the title.
As much as I'm a Rockets fan, and I really don't wanna this thread to go in this direction but I dunno if Houston could take the Bulls in the playoffs they were a different team too I tell ya, if Houston just got the ball to the dream we'd win but Jordan and Pip of old would have eaten Kenny Smiths lunch It bothers me when I hear Bulls fans talking smack but I wonder myself. Wonder how long Shaq will go on playing, if he has to eat the kidney killers? It seems to me he's fairly satisfied that he's the best in the world... he's proved it.. if he has to destroy his body to get rings he may decide there is more to life than basketball. Or maybe he'll just show up for the playoffs and hope Kobe can get him there? lol
