Inside The NBA recently took things to a whole new level to start things off in the 2023-24 season and it didn’t seem like Charles Barkley appreciated it very much. On October 24th, the opening night of the regular season, the TNT crew brought on a new guest, who was not exactly welcomed by the panelists with open arms. Charles Barkley expressed his disapproval the most and even denied Shaquille O’Neal’s $100,000 offer to embrace the cold-blooded guest.
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While the hosts of the show were enjoying some Alligator meat during a segment, a Python was suddenly brought on to the set of the show by a handler. The snake was even brought to the podium where the show was being shot, which elicited a hilarious reaction from Charles Barkley and the rest of the Inside crew.
Barkley, who is known to have a fear of snakes, immediately got off his chair as he looked to maintain a safe distance from the snake. While Ernie Johnson and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith remained seated for the entire scene, they too didn’t want anything to do with the snake.
Shaq, on the other hand, was trying to convince Barkley to pet the snake. While the handler moved around the desk to accost the Chuckster with the massive reptile, the big man even made Barkley an enticing offer. While trying to convince Chuck to hold the python, Shaq said, “Chuck, if you put it around your neck, I’ll give you a $100,000.” Charles hilariously clapped back at Shaq, telling the Diesel, “I already got a hundred thousand dollars! ”
Inside the NBA’s snake infestation has Chuck scared
This wasn’t the first time in the show’s long span that a snake was present on the set. Back in 2021, Barkley made a ‘guarantee’ about the Denver Nuggets beating the Phoenix Suns. The guarantee by Charles resulted in a whole circus walking on to the set.
The set was quickly transformed into an acrobatic spectacle. But aside from the regular performances and acrobatics, the circus even bought on a snake. Charles, after seeing the snake, immediately jumped out of his seat and almost walked out of the set. Hilariously, Shaq restrained Barkley from behind, and told him, “Chuck, face your fears“. Barkley quickly responded, telling Shaq, “This ant none to joke about.”
But it doesn’t take a real snake to scare Sir Charles either. Last year, during the regular season, Barkley was pranked by the crew during a green room break. The Chuckster, who was roaming the green room looking for a place to sit, had the shock of a lifetime when he found a snake underneath a pillow. During a video replay, which was shown on the segment later, Charles was seen flinching as he later recognized the snake to be fake.
Though Barkley seemed disappointed and tired with the crew’s behaviour, he was a good sport throughout the segment. Barkley and the TNT gang are always looking to entertain their fans, and that’s what makes them special. The show, which has been running now for 33 years, has always brought a smile to people’s faces around the globe.
