On November 10, 1999, two of the bulkiest and famous NBA athletes Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley turned violent on each other. Both were ejected but O Neal’s Lakers held on to an 89:88 win. During the post-game scenario, O’Neal opined that it is the usual Charles Barkley style to engage in stuff like this. Shaq thought that Barkley had deliberately provoked him so that this ejection could happen. However, he promised to get the better of Barkley when they next met.
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“He [Charles Barkley] was doing all that wild monkey [stuff], throwing [elbows], acting crazy, I think that was a tactic to get me out of the game, and it worked. I’ll probably have to be a little smarter next time, just wait to get him back later,” expressed the 4x NBA champion.
The events unfolded when Shaquille O’Neal denied Barkley an And-One chance after a foul. Things escalated when O’Neal bumped Barkley and the Chuckster retaliated by swinging his elbows. After Shaq pushed him, Chuck fired the ball at Shaq’s face. This became a tipping point for The Big Aristotle.
He threw a punch at Barkley but the latter dodged it. Somehow, The Round Mound of Rebound found a way to get on top of 3x NBA Finals MVP and landed a few hits. However, the two were separated in what was a short brawl.
This clash between the two was a primetime scenario, however, the two are now colleagues at Inside the NBA. They have grown an admirable bond and when they bring that fight up, there is nothing but laughter in the room. Both love to pull each other’s leg on Live TV and are perhaps the most interesting television duo in the sports world. However, this reconciliation between them also involved their mamas.
Their mothers took over the matter
Interestingly, mama Barkley and Mama O’Neal had been close friends for almost two decades when the brawl took place. Therefore, they had to reprimand this behavior together. In March 2021, Shaq appeared on Conan Needs a Friend pod and explained how their mothers got on a three-way call with him to stop the bad blood.
“I get a phone call from my mother and his (Charles’s) mother on a three-way. I was like ‘Hello?’ and she was like, ‘This is Mama Barkley and y’all cut that sh*t out’ and my mom was like, ‘Shaquille, me and Charles’s mom on the phone, y’all need to stop that,” revealed the former Lakers Center.
Thus, the two inherited their friendship as a legacy from their mothers. Both had mothers who worked hard to raise them and taught them the value of discipline. This is what enabled them to reach the top of the NBA. Now, the two engage in hearty banter, as their friendship keeps blossoming.
