Following $200,000,000 TNT Contract, Charles Barkley Was Immensely Trolled by Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith: “You Make a Lot of Money, Please Hit Me!”

After retiring as one of the greatest, Charles Barkley chose to stick around basketball by taking up the role of an analyst on Inside the NBA. The show has become one of the most popular, mostly because of the presence of Barkley and Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal. Barkley becomes the center of attention as he often is the target of playful trolling on the show’s sets. One such instance was during the 2022-23 season, a few days after Barkley signed the mega $200,000,000 deal with TNT, when Chuck’s attempted to share a Popovich story but the rest of the members cut him completely off by discussing his eating habits. 

Last year, Chuck’s presence on the show was solidified for the next 10 years after signing a massive $200,000,000 contract with TNT, a deal that followed his brief flirtation with LIV Golf. He has 2 years left in his current contract which pays him around $10 million per year. 

Chuck’s Pop Story Interruption – A Comical Exchange Unveiled

During a typical broadcast of Inside the NBA viewers are accustomed to Charles Barkley’s anecdotes, but one particular episode showcased a hilarious interruption that turned a simple story into a comedic exchange. Barkley, known for his hilarious storytelling, was about to share a tale involving recently inducted Hall-of-Famer and Spurs’ longtime coach Gregg Popovich.

As Chuck enthusiastically began recounting his interaction with Popovich, his fellow analysts seized the opportunity to playfully derail his narrative.

Chuck: “Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coach, once said to me, we were down there a game..”

Kenny: “Stop eating?”

Chuck: “Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches ever, said something to me one time…”
Kenny: “Stop eating?” 💀 pic.twitter.com/eMfT7veW2v

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 21, 2022

Shaq then adding in the same tone said, “don’t go to Krispy Kreme?”

Kenny then added, “Not every plate is designed for you?”

And suddenly, Barkley was cut off from the story while everyone was after his eating habit. Kenny then said to Barkley, “you make a lot of money, please hit me.”

Barkley’s undeterred spirit shone through as he navigated past the amusing interruption to eventually get them back on track. He continued his story with his trademark charm, refusing to be thrown off track by his colleagues’ antics. In response, Kenny Smith wittily quipped that suing Barkley over the glasses comment would make him “rich,” adding another layer of humor to the unfolding situation.

Shaquille O’Neal once trolled Charles Barkley on Threads

Shaquille O’Neal, known for his wild personality and close friendship with Barkley, once took the opportunity to tease Chuck on the new social media platform Threads. Shaq posted a video of a seagull devouring a squirrel and captioned it, “If Charles Barkley was a bird, gaining 1,000,000 followers in 24 hours.”

 

Post by @shaq

View on Threads

 

This is not the first time that the Lakers legend has taken shots at Barkley. The two are best friends and are often seen pulling each other’s leg on their show NBA on TNT.