Hamburgers were a hot topic of conversation on ‘Inside the NBA’ recently. As expected, it was Charles Barkley who cast the first stone at Shaquille O’Neal in what became a hilarious battle of words.
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Ernie Johnson set Chuck up by saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo set a new record and joined Shaq and Zion Williamson in an elite list. However, before EJ could complete his statement, Barkley already had a guess lined up.
“How many hamburgers they ate in a 24-hour period?” the 1993 NBA MVP joked. He didn’t need an invitation after hearing Zion and Shaq mentioned in the same sentence, diving straight into some jokes about their build and appetite.
Kenny Smith couldn’t resist Chuck’s humor and burst out laughing. “Kenny, you think that’s funny?” Shaq looked upset at the joke. “Okay but I ain’t laughing.”
‘The Jet’ wouldn’t back down though, insisting that Barkley’s joke was funnier due to it being at O’Neal’s expense. Ernie, who initially wanted to talk about Giannis, soon jumped ship and joined the hamburger discourse.
“What was the most hamburgers you’ve ever eaten in one sitting?” he asked Shaq. O’Neal, the connoisseur that he is, asked Johnson to clarify what type of burger was in question.
“White Castle, 10,” Diesel answered. “I had six Big Macs one time. Six Big Macs, fries, 20 nuggets and a Diet Pepsi.”
"What was the most hamburgers you've ever eaten in one sitting" 😆
Shaq wasn't playing about his records 🍔 pic.twitter.com/JD2nAJlYiK
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 3, 2025
Zion Williamson is yet to share his statistics on this front but perhaps this could set up a new challenge on ‘Inside the NBA’. After all, Barkley and O’Neal are frequently at each other’s throats arguing about their weight.
In April of 2024, Chuck took his shot when he saw Shaq adjusting his chair during a segment. “You all right big fella? Okay, go on, lose some weight and the chair won’t break,” Barkley joked.
O’Neal clapped right back, revealing that Barkley had used a medicine for diabetes called Mounjaro to support his weight-loss journey. This was news to Kenny, who had his own medical advice for Sir Charles.
“You know what drug you need to take? It’s called this. You get there and you do a little bit of this,” Smith quipped as he mimicked some exercises. Shaq needed the last word though as he told Barkley, “You can’t even spell Mounjaro. Spell it right now.”
Chuck wisely skipped the question and somehow steered the conversation back to basketball. But it was just enough entertainment for the fans at home. After all, it’s these moments of banter and chemistry that typify ‘Inside the NBA’.
