During their playing days, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were not the best of friends and would even get into scuffles at times while playing each other. However, things changed one day when their mothers decided to intervene after one of their fights and forced them to have dinner together. The relationship of the two NBA superstars grew from there and their unique dynamic was recognized by TNT producers who decided to put them on television. Over the years, we’ve seen the two Hall-Of-Famers develop a beautiful bond and entertain America and the world through their playful banter, heated arguments and pointed jibes at each other. The occasional tiffs between the two NBA legends live on air have never impacted their friendship. Recently, Shaq displayed his love for Barkley by sharing a highlight reel of the Suns legend on his Instagram stories.
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The two NBA legends’ constant bickering is one of the few reasons why the TNT show is considered to be the most entertaining analysis show on basketball TV. Their disagreements have often led to heated arguments, with the duo taking shots at each other. The Big Aristotle always picks on Chuck for not winning any championships in his career. And when Barkley tries to retaliate, Shaq is always ready to flex the 4 rings in his trophy cabinet.
Shaquille O’Neal shares a Charles Barkley highlight reel to remind fans of his ‘dawg’
Shaq is very active on social media, constantly interacting with his millions of fans. We’ve often seen him share the most bizarre things in his accounts. This time, the Lakers legend displayed his love for Sir Charles through one of his Instagram stories.
The 51-year-old shared a highlight reel of The Round Mound of Rebound demolishing his opponents, posted by @teamflightbrothers. Shaq captioned the reel: Charles Barkley was a dawg!
The Chuckster was an undersized power forward, standing at 6’6″. However, weighing over 250 pounds for the entirety of his career, he was able to dominate in the paint.
Even though he was not the tallest on the court, Barkley collected 11.7 rebounds per game across a 16-year career and even won the rebounding title once. A threat on both sides of the court, the 11-time All-Star would often be the go-to bucket-getter. On the defensive end, the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player was frequently assigned to guard the best player on the opposing team.
Even though he never got his hands upon the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, Chuck did build up quite the resume over the span of his illustrious career. Therefore, Shaq wanted to remind his fans of the absolute beast Barkley was in his prime and that his place in the annals of basketball history is well-deserved.
“Charles is like the big brother I never had”: Shaq
Before heading away for their vacations, NBA TV requested Shaq and Chuck to join the crew for the first two games of the NBA Finals. Prior to Game 2, the duo shared yet another beautiful moment.
Talking about his relationship with Charles, Shaq couldn’t stop praising his 60-year-old co-worker. Calling Barkley the “big brother” he never had, Shaq said: “He’s like the big brother I never had. I love him, I respect him, we fight, we argue … it’s part of love.”
Shaq on his relationship with Chuck ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ixQmMo10jc
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 4, 2023
Even though it’s been only a few days since they left, we already miss their constant jokes and banter which would make watching the playoffs even more fun. As the NBA Finals heats up, fans definitely crave their comic reliefs in between the intense moments of the game.
