Amidst TNT Future’s Uncertainty, Shaquille O’Neal Fondly Recalls Beating Charles Barkley in a 3-Pt Contest

The future of Inside the NBA on TNT continues to hang by a thread because of the growing competition over the league’s media rights. However, the ongoing tension has failed to bother the show’s co-panelist, Shaquille O’Neal, even a little bit. Amidst the clouds over his future as an analyst, ‘The Diesel’ channeled his energy in recalling a hilarious exchange with Charles Barkley.

The 52-year-old recently looked back on his May 2013 three-point contest triumph against Chuck. He shared a clip containing their more than a decade-old competition on his Instagram story, reminiscing about the win.

The situation circled a throwback Instagram post from a fan account. This undoubtedly made Shaq remember his friendly competition against Barkley. On this occasion, the duo had locked horns in the studio set under the condition that the first one to make the basket would walk away with a win.

To make things interesting, the crew members took bets on the NBA icons with Kenny Smith acting as a bookie throughout the contest. As a result, the latter informed Chuck that four members had their money on him, while he and three other members had decided to back Shaq.

Following this hysterical buildup of the contest, Shaq stepped up to take the first shot. The 4x champion surprisingly nailed his first-ever attempt, before celebrating his success with Smith. This put Barkley under immense pressure, causing him to miss his attempt.

Expectedly, this victory delighted Shaq, who did everything in his capacity to rub it in Chuck’s face. From running with open arms like a toddler to breakdancing on the cold, hard floor of the set, O’Neal left no stone unturned.

This gave rise to one of the most memorable instances in television history. On one hand, it displayed how childish even the legends of the game could become just for the sake of competing against each other. On the other hand, it solidified the foundation of the friendship between the show’s panelists.

Following this, the trio engaged in several such moments, providing a unique edge to Inside the NBA. However, all these could come to an abrupt end soon.

What does the future hold for Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley?

With the question marks thickening over the show’s future with each passing day, Barkley recently broke his silence. During a short interview with the renowned street journalist, Adam Glyn, he hinted at the uncertainty over the show’s continuation. However, the 61-year-old remained optimistic about the proceedings, stating,

“I hope it does [work out]. Not just for me and Kenny, Ernie [Johnson], and Shaq, but for the real people who work there. It sucks right now to be stressful”.

Interestingly, Shaq adopted a similar viewpoint, keeping his entire faith intact in the upper management. “Hopefully, David Zaslav will take care of business. I know he will,” he stated.

All these point toward the precarious state the show is in right now. Yet, the contributors have refused to give up on its progress. This displays how closely attached the NBA icons are to Inside the NBA, paving the way for interesting upcoming days.