“I hate Shaq, but he loves me”: Charles Barkley hilariously roasts Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal on Inside the NBA set on MLK Day

Charles Barkley loves riling Shaquille O’Neal up and roasting him on Inside the NBA. Today’s pre-game segment gave him just the perfect chance.

Martin Luther King Day has a solemn air to it that few other events in the American calendar do. But the tons of NBA games that we get, lined up all over the day, makes the air slightly less serious. And when you have 3 black NBA legends joking with a white guy on national television, the tension gets defused all the more.

The quartet of Ernie, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq is like a bunch of middle-schoolers out at a fair. They never seem to tire of pulling each other’s legs. Almost every serious discussion gets deflated by a crappy joke at some point.

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Often, they aren’t even discussing anything worthwhile for Chuck or Shaq to do something stupid or hilarious.

Charles Barkley roasts Shaq – again

The Inside the NBA crew paid their respects to Martin Luther King today on MLK Day. To start the show off, we had Chuck talking about the great opportunity he has to interact with fans.

“Thanks TNT man, for giving us this platform and I’m honored to work with you, congratulations (to Kenny). Ernie is amazing. Shaq, you know, people think we hate each other. I tell them we don’t hate each other. I hate him, but he loves me.”

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As viewers and ardent NBA fans, we hope Shaq and Chuck keep the same energy for each other. While they’re in their 50s and 60s now, it is tough to imagine a league without this crew. No matter who replaces them, this Emmy-winning crew will forever be the greatest sports show.