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“How’d You Lose to Ken Jeong? It Wasn’t a Free-Throw Competition!”: Shaquille O’Neal’s 2018 Loss Got ‘Flamed’ by James Corden On Inside the NBA

Nithin Joseph
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“How’d You Lose to Ken Jeong? It Wasn’t a Free-Throw Competition!”: Shaquille O’Neal's 2018 Loss Got ‘Flamed’ by James Corden On Inside the NBA

In 2019, Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the Inside The NBA crew invited popular talk show host James Corden onto the show. Being good friends with everyone on the crew, Corden slotted in perfectly. He was his usual funny self as the group decided to play a musical version of the game they had popularized, “Who He Play For.” But, since music was involved, Shaq’s appearance on Corden’s show was brought up. Specifically, how he, as a rapper, lost to Ken Jeong in “Drop the Mic.” Something that Corden has not let him forget.

Shaq made an interesting appearance in 2018 on ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ where he participated in “Drop the Mic.” There were high expectations for Big Diesel, but he failed to meet them. Despite being a platinum-selling artist, he stood no chance against the comedian, who made him look like an amateur.

James Corden flamed Shaquille O’Neal for losing to comedian Ken Jeong

James Corden’s appearance on Inside The NBA in 2019 was a memorable one. Meeting the Hall of Famer after almost a year, Corden discussed Shaq’s appearance on his show, The Late Late Show. Specifically pointing out his participation in the game “Drop the Mic.”

Shaq’s performance was horrendous as he fell to the bars of comedian Ken Jeong. This, as expected, left Corden bewildered, and as a result, he decided to call out O’Neal on Inside The NBA. Reminding him again of his embarrassing defeat, he questioned The Big Aristotle, wondering how he lost. After all, it wasn’t a free-throw competition.

A nice little dig from Corden’s end that led to some “oohs” and “aahs” from the crew, including Shaq. Of course, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and Charles Barkley also joined in on the fun, throwing shade Shaq’s way for his horrendous free-throw shooting.

“Shaq you’re a rapper! How did you lose to Ken Jeong? It wasn’t a free-throw competition!”

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Fortunately for Corden, Shaq took it in stride. Over the years, he’s trained himself well to get used to the constant bullying and joking he receives from his fellow crewmates. So, a few jokes about his rapping and free-throw shooting don’t really bother him. Especially considering this wasn’t the first, nor will it be the last time he is made fun of.

Kenny Smith has also roasted Shaq for his dismal free-throw shooting

Shaquille O’Neal’s penchant for missing free throws is a common topic on Inside the NBA. On one occasion, attempting to film a viral TikTok, things went out of hand. The result was pretty much a water balloon/egg fight between Charles Barkley and Shaq. The two kept throwing things at each other, but only Chuck’s aim was on point.

Nailing Shaq with an egg clean on the head, Barkley was ecstatic. However, O’Neal wasn’t about to let that go and tried his best to get Sir Charles. Unfortunately, he missed every time, prompting Kenny Smith to ask him why he was acting like they were free-throws.

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It doesn’t look like Shaq will ever hear the end of those free-throw jokes. No matter how hard he tries, Kenny and others like The Jet will continue to remind him of his dismal 52.7% career free-throw shooting. At this point, it’s just something that the big fella will have to learn to live with.

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin Joseph

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Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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