Talk shows regarding sports have always infused ‘larger than life’ personalities into the mix to keep takes interesting. Having esoteric conversations about the niche aspects of the game could alienate larger, more casual audiences. This is where guys like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley come in; two media talking heads who have undoubtedly added spice to NBA conversations.
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However, a lot of Shaq and Chuck’s banter regarding the NBA has to do with them constantly having negative takes about players and teams in the league. NBA analyst, Jason McIntyre, sees this as a pitfall. He doesn’t believe members of the media as influential as ‘Inside the NBA’ should be as pessimistic as they are.
“I would argue that ‘Inside the NBA’, the show that everybody loves, has done more damage to the NBA the last decade than anything.”
“I would argue that ‘Inside the NBA,’ the show that everybody loves, has done more damage to the NBA the last decade than anything.”
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 17, 2024
Quite the bold statement considering just how much fans love watching Ernie Johnson and his boys on a weekly basis. McIntyre calls out Barkley for dismissing the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup, saying, “What are you doing? You’re damaging your product.”
The undying popularity that ‘Inside the NBA’ has is certainly something that has helped the league in their ratings. Fans tuning into hear Shaq, Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie’s opinions on the NBA keeps basketball on the tips of everybody’s tongues and eventually leads to higher viewership.
When ‘Inside the NBA’ was close to being cancelled after this 2024-25 season, fans of the show fought tooth and nail to have it be revived. So, there’s clearly a ton of appeal when it comes to hearing ex-NBA greats dish out their takes on the state of the league.
However, Jason McIntyre does have a point. Listening to NBA legends bash several players and teams week in and week out morphs the opinions of impressionable minds on the NBA. Hearing overtly negative takes could tarnish the reputation of NBA basketball in the long run.
While there are aspects of the game that do need to be addressed, Hall-of-Famers shouldn’t ideally ‘diss’ the league on national television. Using your platform to hype up younger teams and smaller markets is something ‘Inside the NBA’ should strive for.
This is a tall task for the crew however as they have a formula that works. Conflict drives viewership and conflict arises from negativity. Expect to see Barkley and O’Neal continue to entertain audiences with a wide variety of takes.
