Shaquille O’Neal, Who Has Known Charles Barkley For 30 Years, Once Refused To Acknowledge His Existence

Shaquille O’Neal was once asked about Charles Barkley, leading to the him hilariously asking the interviewers who that is 

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have known each other ever since the former was drafted into the NBA in 1992, over 30 years ago. They would butt heads on the hardwood a multitude of times, with them getting into an all-out brawl during a Lakers-Rockets game that bled into the sidelines. 

After Chuck’s retirement from the league, he would immediately ink a deal with Turner Sports, making him a full-time NBA analyst for TNT. In some ways, this job of his gained him more notoriety than when he was actually playing. After over a decade, Shaq would join the fray following his retirement as a Boston Celtic in 2011. 

Barkley and O’Neal would immediately form a little brother-big brother bond that usually resulted in them arguing on a consistent basis. Them becoming incredibly fond of one another makes this next bit even more hilarious.

Also read: “I was going 117mph”: Charles Barkley once almost killed himself in overspeeding Porsche, leading to a fear of fast cars

Shaquille O’Neal pretends to not know who Charles Barkley is when asked about him 

During an interview while in Australia, Shaquille O’Neal was asked about how Charles Barkley was a decent guy. In response, ‘The Big Aristotle’ simply acted as if he didn’t know who he was being asked about. 

Of course, this is all in good fun considering the fact that Shaq and Chuck are actually quite close off the camera. The chemistry that they have with one another while on ‘Inside the NBA’ all stems from their close bond. It’s quite difficult to fake those type of moments if you genuinely don’t gel with a person. 

Everything from Barkley claiming Shaq doesn’t understand basketball strategy to Shaq calling him ringless, the 2 have made for some of the greatest rants in sports television history. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley ink deals with TNT 

Amidst fear of Charles’s retirement from sports analysis alongside Shaq, Ernie, and Kenny, TNT broke headlines by claiming they signed him to a contract for the next 10 years worth nearly $200 million. 

The same goes for the rest of the crew who are all under contract to officially be ‘Inside the NBA’ hosts together for another decade at the minimum.

Also read: “Stop Eating… Don’t Go to Krispy Kreme!”: Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith Mock 252lbs Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA