The long-awaited return of NBA basketball comes as sweet music to fans worldwide. The on-court product is certainly the biggest draw, but definitely not the only cause for joy. Plenty of fans are looking forward to a brand new season of Inside the NBA and it seems the highly beloved cast is already in mid-season form.
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Charles Barkley has had a relatively quiet offseason. Aside from a few comments regarding ESPN being Inside the NBA’s new home, he has taken this break to enjoy himself. With mere days remaining between now and opening night, Barkley appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and took some shots at long time rival, Shaquille O’Neal.
Rich was absent but had his wife, Suzy Shuster, fill in his place. Shuster knew she had some big shoes to fill and looked to bring on a very important guest to make the show a success. She ended up asking Barkley, who happily accepted.
“What I like to do is flex,” Shuster said as she introduced the Hall of Famer. “So I reached out to my favorite. Now, if Shaquille O’Neal hears that, then I’m going to really take it,” she joked.
Shuster notably has a great relationship with O’Neal and the one thing the Los Angeles Lakers legend doesn’t like is being behind Barkley in any aspect of life. Naturally, Barkley being Shuster’s favorite could make Shaq a little envious.
“The guy shouldn’t be jealous of me,” Barkley, however proclaimed. “I’m me, he’s not, just deal with it. Just because you can’t reach somebody’s level doesn’t mean you don’t keep striving, just keep reaching,” he added, throwing some serious shade at the 4x NBA chamoion.
Of course, Barkley is just poking fun at his dear friend. Nonetheless, the Hall-of-Fame forward’s remarks mean that he is once again more than ready to bring his infamous banter to Inside the NBA this season.
That said, he has raised concerns about possible restrictions now that ESPN holds the rights to their show. However, neither Barkley nor O’Neal will censor themselves due to the broadcast company’s wishes.
On numerous instances, they have claimed that they will remain authentic, which has only built upon the anticipation. Fans won’t have to wait too long as the show will make its ESPN debut on Wednesday, October 22, at 6 PM ET. They will also run it back the following day on October 23, covering two sets of double-headers. Must see television for both nights.
