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Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Unlikely Reason He’s Started Taking GLP-1s

The 7-foot-1 athlete was diagnosed just after retiring from the NBA.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedJun 10, 2026, 1:19 PM EDT

UpdatedJun 10, 2026, 1:20 PM EDT

Updated Jun 10, 2026, 1:20 PM EDTPublished Jun 10, 2026, 1:19 PM EDT

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One of basketball’s most prolific players revealed why he’s taking a GLP-1, and it isn’t simply for weight loss.

Shaquille O’Neal, 54—the legendary center whose NBA career spanned 19 years and six different teams—is now the face for a campaign advertising Zepbound.

Although the weekly jab is most often associated with weight loss, O’Neal was prescribed the drug for a different reason.

The GLP-1 is manufactured by Eli Lilly and is FDA-approved to manage weight and obstructive sleep apnea.

After the 7-foot-1 basketball star retired in June 2011, he participated in an overnight sleep study at Harvard Medical School.

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There, he was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a health condition in which breathing is interrupted multiple times during sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can also include snoring and is often related to weight.

O’Neal told Healthline on Wednesday that at the time he did not take the diagnosis seriously.

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“[The doctors] told me the what and whatnots to do and talked about certain things, but I ignored it… because I thought I was superhuman,” he said.

But the condition got worse with time, and O’Neal suffered from fatigue and an inability to focus.

“My snoring got so bad that my friends started making…funny videos out of them. And then I was always tired during the daytime,” he told the outlet.

Eventually, O’Neal visited his doctor, who suggested he try Zepbound.

The drug eased the sports analyst’s symptoms and also helped him lose some weight.

O’Neal made other lifestyle changes, too. In addition to increasing his regular exercise—with an elliptical machine and a bike—O’Neal adjusted his diet.

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“I used to eat four or five McDonald’s [items] a day; not anymore. I have to eat a high-calorie-reduced diet and work out more, and I just can’t do things that [I] used to do,” he said.

Adding, “Like, my favorite thing was club sandwiches. I like bread. But [bread] can get me in trouble now. I’m trying to eat really healthy.”

O’Neal is so happy with his current health that he decided to join a campaign for the cause.

“You know, I chose to share my experience because OSA is a serious but often overlooked condition,” O’Neal told GQ. “This is very personal to me.”

O’Neal wants to encourage others—especially men—who have similar struggles to seek help for their symptoms.

“The problem with men? We think we’re superhuman, especially athletic men,” he told Healthline.

Adding, “Because, you know, when you play, you never get sick, and you never catch the flu; you just think you’re [invincible].”

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O’Neal’s goal is to lead a longer, healthier life for his family, especially his six children.

“One of my sons said, ‘I can’t wait until my babies call you Grandpa,’” he said.

The NBA star is one of multiple world-class athletes to lend their face to brands in the popular class of medications.

Serena Williams, 44, who is a 23-time singles Grand Slam champion, also endorsed a GLP-1 brand in August.

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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