The NBA on TNT broadcast has cemented its place as a fan favorite in basketball television over the years. The show’s reliable coverage of the league through the decades has earned the appreciation of NBA fans worldwide. The chief attraction of the show is the banter and effortless chemistry between the hosts, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith. During a recent podcast appearance, Smith spilled the beans on how Shaq and Charles Barkley spend their time behind the scenes on the TNT set, which includes DJing and watching hockey games.
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After retiring from the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has established himself as an ace businessman, having amassed a net worth of a whopping $400 million. Shaq’s numerous business ventures are a direct outcome of his propensity to always look for opportunities and work around the clock. Kenny Smith recently provided a glimpse of what working with the Big Diesel looks like.
Shaquille O’Neal deejays and Charles Barkley watches hockey on the sets of TNT
During a recent appearance on the BigBoyTV podcast, Kenny Smith opened up about a lot of things regarding the world of basketball. Soon the conversation veered to the Inside the NBA show and the hilarious shenanigans that take place both on and off-air during the filming of the show. In fact, Smith ended up exposing Shaq and Chuck for their antics while researching for the show!
Smith explained that the panel has a green room on the set with multiple TVs to watch the games and prepare their thoughts for the show. However, Shaq and Barkley are often found to be occupied with other things, while watching the games. According to the former Houston Rockets guard:
“Charles is watching the game halfway but he’s got like Law and Order, Crashing Fast…whatever, whatever.. Food Network…whatever’s on…hockey-he’s got his eyes on both.“
“Shaq has like one eye-a quarter eye on the game, about half an eye-then he’s either DJing[or]…Five minutes later, ‘Oh this Papa John’s’…Like he’s doing multi-million dollar deals in the middle of the thing and he’s like, ‘Kenny, hold on, Should I get this three years for $28 million or two years for 19?‘”
Incidentally, Shaq has created an empire through his wise and lucrative investments in an array of brands, from Google to Papa John’s Pizza. He also owns proprietary brands, like Big Chicken. Apart from that, Shaq owns car washes, gyms, restaurant chains, etc. Smith’s anecdote lines up well with Shaq’s business resume.
So Shaq and Chuck don’t watch NBA games before commenting on them?
A couple of months ago, Charles Barkley made headlines after declaring that he watched hockey on TBS instead of following the ‘boring’ Nuggets-Timberwolves matchup during the playoffs. Smith’s recent story further highlights Chuck’s propensity to watch hockey and other games while watching NBA games.
Shaq and Barkley have often attracted heavy backlash for their sharp criticism of certain players. After Smith’s recent revelation, the duo could receive further flak for not doing the due diligence before criticizing players. The seemingly harmless blooper can hurt the credibility of the NBA veterans in the long run.
