“Chuck punched Shaq then ran after that”: When Charles Barkley jokingly hit Shaquille O’Neal while presenting Inside the NBA on TNT some years back

The legendary love-hate chemistry between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal is unique in sports broadcasting. They never pull punches in a debate or sometimes in real 

The Inside The NBA show has been airing since 1989. The show has won 15 Sports Emmy Awards so far and was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in October 2016.

But one of the selling points of the show has to be: a bunch of grown, accomplished, respected men acting like kids sometimes.

Shaquille O’Neal‘s addition to the show in 2012 was like finding the final missing piece to the puzzle. There was finally somebody who can stand up to Charles Barkley in the show; in terms of success, comedy, size and strength.

When they both go at each other verbally or physically, it’s straight-up entertainment. In one such instance, Chuck punched Shaq on his chest and ran afterward as 2 brothers fight in their childhood.

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Chuck and Shaq were rivals on the court, but are brothers on the show

The fights on the show are all fun and games. But Chuck and Shaq had a real fight in 1999. In a game between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets, Chuck got upset with a foul and threw the ball on Shaq’s head.

Shaq took offense to that and retaliated. The 2 heavyweights of the NBA got into a wrestling brawl before the teams could separate them. Both of them were ejected from the match.

Cut to 2021, and the fight is still going on, but thankfully only in NBA disagreements. None of them back down, no matter how bizarre or profound their stands are. There is enough Shaq vs Chuck content on youtube to keep you entertained for days.

It looks like the fun can come to an end as Charles is speculating to retire in a couple of years. Meanwhile, the fans can only hope that funny experiences like this can make Barkley stay for long.

Also Read – Charles Barkley is gonna be here till the wheels fall off! Shaq confirms that the Sixers legend is merely talking up his retirement for the cameras, won’t leave Inside the NBA anytime soon.