OSA is a medical condition where your airway partially or completely collapses repeatedly while sleeping, which may sometimes lead to breathing interruptions.
—Shaquille O’NealDiagnosed with moderate OSA over 15 years ago“I was tired all the time. I’d wake up not feeling rested, even after what I thought was a full night’s sleep.”
Like many people with OSA, Shaquille didn’t know what was causing his bad night’s sleep at first, or that he was actually experiencing breathing interruptions. It was his partner who noticed the loud snoring, choking, and gasping for air. But he was already affected by other symptoms, like fatigue, irritability, and concentration problems. That was when he knew this wasn’t just a regular bad night’s rest, and it was time to talk to a doctor about a sleep study.
Sound familiar? Learn more about moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity.
Shaq’s not superhuman after all
00:00-00:03
(Music begins.)
(A garage door opens slowly and someone’s standing in the shadows holding garbage bags.)
VOICEOVER: Over the years, people have called him superhuman.
SUPER: Paid partnership with Lilly.
00:03-00:05
(It’s revealed the person in the shadows is Shaquille O’Neal. He talks to camera.)
SHAQUILLE: But I’m not.
00:05-00:11
(Shaq walks out of the garage with the garbage bags and notices they’re leaking. He sighs in annoyance as he drops them at the curb.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: Like nearly 24 million adults, I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA.
SUPER: In the US, moderate-to-severe OSA affects an estimated 24 million adults. Many are living with obesity.
00:11-00:14
(Shaq’s sitting at the edge of his bed yawning, clicks off his light, and gets under the covers.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: Got those breathing interruptions during sleep?
00:14-00:16
(Shaq’s asleep in bed and is snoring.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: The loud snoring, choking,…
00:16-00:17
(Shaq’s asleep on the couch during the day.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: …and daytime fatigue.
00:17-00:21
(Shaq’s in the kitchen struggling to open a jar of pickles. He sighs in frustration.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: It could be OSA.
00:21-00:23
(Shaq’s sitting in an armchair watching TV. The remote in his hand is making the blinds go up and down, and turning lights on and off instead of turning on the TV.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: Talk to your...
00:23-00:24
(Shaq taps the remote in confusion.)
SHAQUILLE VOICEOVER: …doctor.
00:24-00:28
(Shaq’s sitting on a step on a front porch.)
SHAQUILLE: Cause there’s nothing superhuman about ignoring OSA symptoms.
SUPER: VISIT DontSleepOnOSA.com TO LEARN MORE
00:28-00:30
(Red Lilly background and logo fade in over the scene. Music fades out.)
GRAPHIC: Lilly
A MEDICINE COMPANY
SUPER: PP-ZP-US-2414 10/2025 © Lilly USA, LLC 2025. All rights reserved.
Could breathing interruptions at night, disrupted sleep, and fatigue during the day be caused by OSA?
Prepare to talk to your doctor by answering a few questions that may help them identify some potential OSA symptoms.
Need help booking a sleep study? Take the first step with LillyDirect®.
