Shaquille O’Neal brought a dose of entertainment to Indiana ahead of the All-Star weekend. During a recent episode of TNT‘s Inside the NBA, the Diesel once again went after Charles Barkley as on the broadcast he had 100s of NBA fans berating the 1993 MVP. The mischievous antics of the 4x champion paid dividends as the crowd’s chants echoed through the arena.
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In the opening few minutes of the show, Shaq asked for the sportscaster Ernie Johnson’s permission to “do one more thing”. Despite the facilitator allowing the 51-year-old to attain his goal, his co-panelist Kenny Smith sensed the intentions. “Oh ho,” the 2x champion mentioned as Shaq turned around to work on his DJ controller.
“Everybody, join in,” the 15x All-Star declared as the NBA fans in Indiana started chanting, “Barkley sucks”. The voices gained momentum over time before the 3x Finals MVP stood up to further encourage the crowd. “Say it. Barkley sucks,” he repeated from the center of the arena as visitors obliged to the request of the 7ft 1″ icon.
Chuck also seemingly enjoyed the banter of his co-panellist. On one hand, O’Neal’s method of involving the audience and orchestrating the situation shed light on his playful nature. On the other hand, the exchange showcased the camaraderie between the NBA Hall of Famers after working together for 12 years.
This was not the first time the crowd had targeted Charles Barkley
During the coverage of the 2022 Western Conference finals, Sir Charles had to face taunts from the Golden State Warriors’ home crowd. Amidst the complicated history between the two parties, the Bay Area erupted in “Chuck, you suck” chants. Despite attempting to ignore the ridicule, the 60-year-old eventually gave in before stating, “Hey, you’re right and y’all suck too”.
A similar incident occurred in May 2011 while the TNT crew attempted to cover a Miami Heat game. The Magic City locals targeted the 1993 MVP as they chanted, “F**k you, Chuck” mock the sports analyst. Despite maintaining composure briefly, the 11x All-Star eventually let go of his professionalism as he flipped off the home crowd before sharing a laugh about it.
So, on each occasion, the Alabama-born has enjoyed the exchanges in a unique fashion. With Shaq operating as an instigator to add fuel to the fire, the off-court war often reaches a new high. Undoubtedly, it was not the way the supporters expected Inside the NBA to initiate their All-Star show. Yet, somehow it broke the barriers to exceed the expectations of the viewers.
