“You Can’t Eat Fried Chicken And Just Take A Shot”: Charles Barkley’s Heavy Drug Use Called Out By Shaquille O’Neal And Kenny On National TV

The Playoffs have started this weekend, leaving the entire NBA world buzzed, but Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley always manage to make time to take friendly jabs at each other. This time, like previous times, the jabs centred around Barkley’s weight and eating habits. Barkley has been open about his usage of the weight loss drug Mounjaro, and this time, Shaq and Kenny teased him about how his new ‘diet’ was working.

Chuck’s weight has always been a hotly joked about issue on Inside The NBA, and after a while, it was clear that the constant discussions were starting to get to the Hall of Famer. That’s why he started his weight loss journey in the first place.

After claiming Chuck was “cheating” the process of losing weight by using drugs, both Shaq and Kenny got onto him for his eating habits, especially his consumption of fried chicken. Shaq told him, “You ain’t going on no diet, you cheating. That’s what you doing. Yeah, stop eating that fried chicken cheater.”

While Chuck tried to argue his case and Ernie tried to steer the conversation back to basketball, Kenny chimed in with a “You can’t eat fried chicken and just take a shot!”

While his co-hosts joke and jest about his habits, Chuck knows better than anyone that his methods are certainly working. In an interview with Pat McAfee back in 2023, Barkley revealed that he’d lost over 60 pounds in a short amount of time since he started taking the drug.

Of course, it’s not just a magic end-all be-all. Barkley has also been following a rigorous training and diet regimen alongside the drug.

The jokes from his co-hosts on TNT will continue, though, and last night wasn’t the first time he had to hear them.

Shaq and Chuck fought about each other’s weight

Shaq and Chuck went at each other on Inside the NBA 6 months ago. The two resorted to calling each other “fatass” after Shaq had a chair squeak under his weight. Barkley claimed his chair wouldn’t do that, as he weighed less than the Lakers legend.

Shaq, in retaliation, outed Chuck for using Mounjaro in his weight loss journey. Chuck, completely unashamed, said he was on the drug and that he had lost 60 pounds by using it.

Of course, Kenny and Ernie were in tears from laughing at this, and the former Rocket couldn’t resist calling out his co-host.

“You know the drug you need to take?” Kenny asked Chuck. “It’s called this [imitates running] get out there and do a little this. Do less of this [imitates drinking] and less of this [imitates eating] that’s the drug.”

Chuck’s little weight loss anecdote proved to be the funniest thing to happen on that episode, and his three co-hosts were left breathless from all their laughter.

However, it wasn’t all laughter for Barkley’s teammates back in the day when he was a player and one of them was Scottie Pippen.

Pippen slammed Chuck for his indiscipline

In an interview with the PBD Podcast earlier this year, Pippen took a dig at Barkley for having had a very poor work ethic as a player, despite all the talent he possessed. Pippen blamed Chuck’s reckless lifestyle and habits, which included staying up late in the night to party and eat, as the reason behind it being difficult to work with him in the same team.

“In fact, Charles started out working out with me and he was all dedicated,” Pippen said.

“Working out, me, him, and [Tim] Grover. I took Grover down and he lasted about a month. It was too much for [Barkley]. He wanted to enjoy his nightlife. And our workouts were predicated on getting up in the morning and training before practice.”

In Pippen’s memoir Unguarded, he revealed that while things are now fine between him and Barkley, he held a huge grudge against him for the way the 1998-99 season ended when they played together. He did not shy from swearing about Barkley’s weight being the reason behind him performing below par that season.

“I wouldn’t give Charles Barkley an apology at gunpoint. He can never expect an apology from me. If anything, he owes me an apology for coming to play with his sorry, fat (expletive).”