“Would’ve Knocked His F***ing Head Off”: Shaquille O’Neal Ponders Over Nearly Punching Charles Barkley 2 Decades Ago

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal’s friendship is one of the main reasons why fans love Inside the NBA. The duo’s chemistry and innate ability to needle each other make for terrific viewing. But while they are close today, that wasn’t the case during their playing days. On the contrary, they harbored some degree of disdain for each other due to their competitive nature. It almost led to a massive brawl that O’Neal believes he would have won.

In a game between the Rockets and Lakers in 1999, the four-time NBA champion tried to block Barkley’s shot attempt but accidentally hit him with his elbow. The latter was visibly hurt and swatted O’Neal’s hand away. However, the Lakers superstar shoved the veteran, prompting him to throw the ball at his face.

O’Neal lost his temper and swung at Barkley, but, fortunately, missed. In the immediate aftermath, they got tangled up and hit the floor, while teammates and officials rushed to the scene to separate the two. 25 years since that infamous brawl, the Lakers icon was asked what would have happened had he landed his punch. He responded,

“I would have knocked his f**king head off.”

While he said it jokingly, he did want to hurt Barkley that day. At the same time, Barkley too was infamous for his altercations. After the scuffle, O’Neal was still fuming and wanted to confront the Suns superstar again. If the two had fought, their relationship would have taken a hit. But two things went right that day, the punch didn’t connect and O’Neal received an astonishing phone call that changed the dynamic.

Shaq and Barkley get the biggest surprise from their mothers

In the locker room, an incensed O’Neal was still pacing around angrily when his uncle handed him the phone saying it was his mother. The Lakers superstar picked it and realized he was a conference call. He recalled the incident during an appearance on the King Charles podcast. He said,

“So I get on the phone, and Charles’ mom is on the phone, “He better not hit my baby,” and I was like who is this?”

Turns out, O’Neal and Barkley’s mother had been friends for decades but they never let their sons know. They managed to calm their sons down. After that incident, the animosity between the two players almost dissipated. It paved the way for friendship that has lasted over two decades. However, it likely would have never been forged had O’Neal’s punch been slightly accurate.