The latest episode of Inside the NBA brought forward a unique dynamic in the relationship between Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. The former MVPs hilariously quarrelled over their roles in the Hollywood movies, Kazaam and Space Jam. This paved the way for a light-hearted back-and-forth between the duo, with even the name of Michael Jordan being thrown into the mix.
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Initially, Barkley mocked Shaq’s endeavors in the 1996 superhero film, Kazaam. He described his co-panelist’s acting as “awful”, sparking the argument between them. O’Neal countered Chuck by promptly mocking the latter’s role in the movie, Space Jam. “Better than Space Jam,” the Big Aristotle declared before hilariously imitating the scene of Barkley losing his talent.
The panel burst into laughter witnessing this move from Shaq. Utilizing this opportunity, the 4x champion doubled down on his opinion on Chuck’s movie. “That dumb a** movie you did,” he mentioned while continuing to mockingly imitate Barkley’s scene in the movie.
Amidst the mockery, Chuck almost sorrily attempted to defend the film. He highlighted how the movie got nominated for awards, adding volume to the legacy of his on-screen craft. However, being in no mood to let Barkley bask in any kind of glory, Shaq said, “No, Michael Jordan got nominated for awards,” quickly taking any kind of value away from the Chuckster’s acting.
While Michael Jordan’s Space Jam was great for its time, the acting displayed in the movie has aged like toned milk, rather than fine wine. So, no number of awards of any kind can make anyone believe that any NBA star acted well in the movie. That said, O’Neal doesn’t have much to stand on here either. Kazaam was a massive flop at the box office for a reason, something Shaq has failed to completely recover from to this day.
While his acting has improved over the years, it really is hard to get over just how bad he was in the film. And apparently, even his very decision to be in the movie is something he regrets to this day.
Shaquille O’Neal regretted his decision to act in Kazaam
This 1996 project marked one of the most forgettable parts of his journey to this day. During a 2012 interview with GQ, the 52-year-old revealed the reason behind agreeing to act in the film. Citing the influence of paycheck and his desire at a young age, Shaq outlined his regrets.
“I was a medium-level juvenile delinquent from Newark who always dreamed about doing a movie…Someone said, ‘Hey, here’s $7 million, come in and do this genie movie.’ What am I going to say, no? So I did it,” he mentioned.
Consequently, during the recent argument with Barkley, Shaq refrained from saying anything about his role. He rather opted to mock Chuck’s acting to refuse to let him get one over him. This further highlighted his actual stance on the film, justifying his comments from more than a decade back. Hopefully, the legend can get over his decision soon enough. Especially with how great his life seems today, one little step from his youth shouldn’t bother him forever.
