LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal has decided to have surgery on his right foot, and might not be ready for the start of the season.
Agent Perry Rogers expects O'Neal to be operated on in the next 2-to-3 weeks, and said his recovery could take six more. The Lakers begin defense of their third straight NBA title on Oct. 29.
O'Neal will undergo surgery at UCLA Medical Center as soon as a viral infection that caused his 103-degree temperature and a swollen liver has subsided, Rogers said. O'Neal will have a cheilectomy, which involves removing bone spurs in the joint that have caused pain and restricted his motion.
Since the first week of July, O'Neal had been consulting with doctors and seeking three different opinions about his big right toe. He played last season using a combination of medication, orthotics and other treatments to ease the pain, but no method was effective.
"The pain became so bad that I think I relied on (painkiller) too much," O'Neal told Fox Sports Net on Thursday. "Sometimes if I didn't take it, I didn't feel well and I didn't play well and I would have to rely on the painkillers for me to play well.
