The shots provide NBA players with a method to play through the pain, however, athletes must know the risks involved with taking painkillers before athletic contests.

"I am so against painkilling shots, having learned the hard way," said former Dolphins receiver and radio talk show host O.J. McDuffie, who has a lawsuit pending against the doctors and hospitals involved with treating the 1999 toe injury that ultimately ended his career. "I just wanted to make sure that D-Wade has all the information, that he knows what's he doing, that he's been told the truth. The important thing is to make sure he was well-informed about the consequences. The same with Damon Jones."