SNL or Saturday Night Live has been airing on national television for the past 49 years, churning out 49 successful seasons. A household name among millions of American families, SNL has a long-standing base that the show often tries to capture. Consistently inviting celebrities and sports personalities onto the show, SNL once had NBA legend Charles Barkley on for one of the most iconic skits 14 years ago.
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NBA player turned analyst, Charles Barkley made a surprise cameo in a skit for SNL back in 2010. The Inside the NBA co-host shared the screen with Andy Samberg and Bill Hader at the time.
Barkley portrays the role of Marvin Mcintosh, the father of Lorenzo Mcintosh who was brought to life by Keenan Thompson. The father-son duo were part of the ‘scared straight’ program.
The skit was loosely based on how convicted convicts came to talk to repeat troubled kids in the hopes of them straightening their lives. Barkley and Thompson tried their best to scare Andy Samberg, Bil Hader, and another character back on track.
If it wasn’t funny enough seeing Charles Barkley in a wig, then the NBA legend trying his best not to break character by laughing during the skit. Not only that but Barkley may have shouted at Andy Samberg, Bil Hader, and Keenan Thompson while shooting and went on to bridge the cameo.
As good as Charles Barkley was as a player or an analyst, he did not have the same screen presence as Shaquille O’Neal. However, the former NBA star rolled up his sleeves and gave his best, giving fans a rare sight to see.
Charles Barkley’s limited time on the big screen
As said above, Shaquille O’Neal has a certain presence on the screen even when he’s sharing it with big stars from Hollywood. Shaq’s persona, paired with his seven-foot frame makes him a delight to be seen in movies and TV shows.
Having appeared in plenty of TV series and films, even as a cameo, Shaquille O’Neal may have let that get to his head once. Because, back in 2016, Shaq went on to mock Charles Barkley for his appearance in Michael Jordan’s Space Jam.
The Big Aristotle had a lead role in the movie, Kazam. While the movie did not do well at the box office, Shaq was still relieved that it wasn’t as bad as Barkley’s small cameo in Space Jam.
After watching the clip, as soon as the rest of the co-hosts started to possibly discuss Barkley’s acting skills, Shaq said, “And I thought Kazam was bad. Oh, that was terrible,” as he shook his head in disbelief.
Whether Charles Barkley does any more cameos or not, he is still one of the most beloved NBA analysts out there. And if he were to run it back once again with SNL, it may be safe to assume that no one bat an eye, looking forward to seeing Barkley reprise that role.
