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“Charles Barkley didn’t get to the mountain top and doesn’t know what it takes”: Shaquille O’Neal defends his excessive use of how many rings he has when arguing with the Suns legend

Samir Mehdi
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“Shaquille O’Neal really put a knocked out Charles Barkley on his T-shirt": Lakers legend emulates Muhammed Ali by poking fun at the NBAonTNT host

Shaquille O’Neal throw shade at Charles Barkley for not having any rings and thus, he doesn’t know what it takes to get to the mountain top. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have been at odds with one another for well over a decade. Taking it back to the 1990s, the two even had a physical altercation with one another in 1999 but later patched things up with one another after both their mothers got involved and told them to make things right. 

Fast-forward 22 years later and they’ve elevated themselves from physical confrontations on the court to verbal disputes off it. Shaquille O’Neal shares the limelight with Charles Barkley on NBAonTNT and the two constantly butt heads with one another on topics that revolve around players in the league today.

Also read: “Isiah Thomas is the greatest pure point guard of all time!”: When Charles Barkley snubbed the likes of Steve Nash and Chris Paul during Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ docuseries

Their arguments however, usually delve into Shaq exclaiming that he has 4 championships to Chuck’s none while the latter tries to tell the Lakers legend that him having that many rings over him has nothing to do with their conversation. 

Shaquille O’Neal defends him saying that he has many more rings that Charles Barkley on NBAonTNT. 

Charles Barkley went on the ‘Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend’ podcast early last year and talked about how Shaquille O’Neal constantly brings up the fact that he has no rings, when it’s in no way related to the debate they’re having. Shaq responded to Chuck 14 months later on the same podcast and told Conan: 

“Charles is a great player, one of the top 50 greatest of all time but, he really doesn’t know what it takes to get to that next level and that’s why I tell him, ‘You’re over here yelling and screaming and you think your word is the law but no, you didn’t get to the mountain top.’ Not only was I at the mountain top, but I was king of the mountain top.” 

Also read: “Donovan Mitchell still has a long way to go”: Shaquille O’Neal defends his decision of critiquing the Jazz superstar’s potential

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley will be at odds with one another for as long as basketball exists but it shouldn’t take away from the fact that the two are in fact, great friends. After all, they’re mothers have been friends for decades. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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