‘Clown Show Is Played Out, Sure Charles Barkley Would Agree’: Fans Upset As Shaquille O’Neal Calls Himself ‘Chocolate Chip’ On National TV

Joseph Galizia | 26/03/2025
Shaquille O'Neal(L) and Charles Barkley(R)

Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t exactly been the model for simplicity and straightforwardness since he became an NBA analyst back in 2011. The Diesel’s absurdity has long been a staple trademark of his entertainment value for basketball programming. However, his latest action has left fans with a different taste in their mouth. One that makes them wonder why they’re tuning into NBA TV in the first place.

Shaq revealed a new nickname during today’s pre-game broadcast of NBA on TNT. “Chocolate Chip” he uttered after co-host Adam Lefkoe asked him to spill the beans on what it was. To add some flavor to his new moniker, Shaq licked and smacked his lips for a bone-chilling sound effect that made Candace Parker cringe.

“Chocolate Chip”  joins the long list of odd nicknames that Shaq has come up with over the years. Everything from the ‘Big Aristotle’ to the ‘Black Steph Curry’ has been added to his nickname repertoire.

At least he was dressed in a suit right? Wrong. The four-time NBA Champion had a pair of Simpsons pajama pants on, something that he was also quite proud of. Shaq’s playful demeanor on Inside the NBA has always been a joy for his fans but for people looking to hear niche ball analysis? He and Cuck yelling at each other has been testing some nerves, and tonight’s display only further proved their point.

“This clown show is played out. I’m sure Barkley would agree,” wrote one fan on X, who hit their limit watching Shaq make a fool of himself. That wasn’t all.

A second user added, “I was upset when I heard this show would be cancelled. But I think it’s time. This show sucks. No real analysis, just lame jokes and haters.” It’s this second comment that really expressed what a lot have been saying about the long-running program.

Fans have been vocal about Inside the NBA being all play and no analysis

For a while now basketball fans have been critical of Inside the NBA for focusing too much on entertainment value and not as much on true analysis. Shaq himself has been criticized often not just for coming up with “Chocolate Chip,” but for his poor takes on top players in the game, most notably Rudy Gobert, who he claimed “didn’t deserve the money he was getting paid.”

Next year might be different. The new NBA broadcast deal is moving Inside the NBA to ESPN. Perhaps the “worldwide leader in sports” will enforce a policy to get Shaq and Chuck to stop sparring with each other and break down some game tape.

It isn’t the end of the world if that doesn’t happen however. Watching Kenny and Shaq attempt to race to the wall well into their 70s will still always be a great bit. A little bit of entertainment never hurt anybody.
Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
Charles Barkley Inside The NBA Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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