The off-court banter of the NBA gives the league and its competition completeness as it adds an extra layer of excitement. The fans of the sport witnessed it yet again as Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal hilariously contested each other on TNT’s Inside the NBA show. The analysts went in opposite directions while placing their bets on the winner of the in-season tournament’s quarter-final clash.
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Ahead of the knockout game between the Phoneix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, each of them sided with their former teams. Shaq backed the Lakers, stating, “Lakers by 15,” while Chuck mentioned, “I’m gonna disagree with the big fella. I’m going with my Suns today”. The contrast in opinions henceforth paved the way for an interesting exchange between two former MVPs of the league.
“Bet it,” O’Neal declared while Barkley initially hesitated, saying, “You make a lot on yourself”. As soon as the 4x champion redirected those words to the 1993 MVP, the latter excitedly joined in betting, “$15 million”. “Make it $30 million,” Shaq replied to increase the level of competition. That moment was enough to bring Charles back to his senses as the 60-year-old stepped back, highlighting, “I don’t wanna be black and poor”.
The duo then changed the format of the contest as they agreed upon a power slap competition. “Do I get to go first?” Barkley asked the 7’1 icon to which the latter stated, “Yes, you get to go first,” displaying immense confidence in his ability. Following this, Charles attempted to damage the self-belief of Shaq, mentioning, “Once I hit you, you gonna drop like a sack of potatoes,” as everyone shared a good laugh.
Chuck’s willing to bet $15M on the @Suns tonight pic.twitter.com/WdNsS02ZSU
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 6, 2023
Charles Barkley did not want to risk another loss for the day
The situation heated up mostly because the 51-year-old had won one bet against Sir Charles earlier. The 2000 MVP backed the Milwaukee Bucks for the first quarter-final of the day while the 11x All-Star sided with the New York Knicks. Shaq had his faith in the Bucks, stating, “This team right here is my favorite to win the championship,” before coming out victorious.
“I think Milwaukee should win and they should win easily. … This team right here is my favorite to win the championship.”
Shaq on the Milwaukee @Bucks ️ pic.twitter.com/38xaNPrkp8
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 6, 2023
This gave rise to this hilarious betting instance between them as Barkley’s losing streak continued. He had previously backed the Boston Celtics, mentioning, “The Celtics are gonna win the championship. The Boston Celtics are the best team in the NBA”. Soon after that, they got knocked out of the in-season tournament following a defeat to the Indiana Pacers.
With the Suns making a comeback on this occasion, Charles’ prediction this time around is tough to rule out. Certainly, the clash now has another reason worth watching for.
