WNBA legend Candace Parker talks to Taylor Rooks about what working with Shaquille O’Neal feels like.
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Shaquille O’Neal has developed some new friendships on the sets of Inside the NBA over the past year. With Turner Sports bringing back TNT Tuesdays, a new panel featuring the next generation of analysts along with Shaq has been entraining us with some fresh energy.
The old and hit cast of Ernie Johnson and Kenny “The Jet” Smith are well-adjusted to Charles Barkley’s and O’Neal’s wild takes. But the new cast starring Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade alongside host Adam Lefkoe needed time in doing so.
Also read: “Charles Barkley, you sound stupid right now! I passed Dikembe Mutombo on the all-time blocks list!”
Diesel’s long-time friend and former teammate D-Wade must be used to his big talks as he was the same or even worse during his playing years as well. But Candace found herself dumbstruck when she first met the person she knew only by his larger than life personality and big “accomplishments and stats”.
She talked about how she handles the Big Aristotle and his astronomical takes with Taylor Rooks on the Bleacher Report and Turner Sports broadcaster’s podcast Women Hooping on YouTube.
Candace Parker alongside Dwyane Wade is undefeated in arguments with Shaquille O’Neal
Parker started telling the story of when Shaq met with her 6-year-old daughter Lailaa and played Uno with her and didn’t let her win a single game while celebrating his victories like a kid himself saying “Take that.”
And then she answered Rooks’ question on what does it take to beat Shaq in an argument? She describes how every time Shaq has a hot take, she and Wade will look at each other to who’ll go ahead to fact-check the veteran analyst in his backyard.
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/o91WDCbwdm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2021
It’s now bread and butter for both the newbies to call Shaq out on his absurd takes, which even most fans will know are a lie. They sometimes bully Shaq who was a well-known bully during his playing career and still is to both Kenny and Chuck most of the time.
.@SHAQ walked off the set after @Candace_Parker‘s team beat his in an NBA 2K simulation 😅 pic.twitter.com/fRK4L8hBo1
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 30, 2022
.@Candace_Parker and @DwyaneWade always messing with Shaq 😂
(via @SHAQ)pic.twitter.com/qrO8vRmQ6R
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 14, 2021
It is so soothing to see a bully getting bullied.