Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley get heated on the air
By Ian Levy
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley did some chest-beating during last night’s broadcast. Barkley might want to be careful before coming at the Big(ger) Fella.
It’s all fun and games on TNT’s flagship NBA studio show, Inside the NBA. It’s a personality-driven broadcast — Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal are there to say outrageous things, Kenny Smith is there to laugh, and Ernie Johnson is there to make sure things don’t go too far off the rails. The gang certainly likes to have fun at each other’s expense, but usually everyone keeps it polite.
During last night’s broadcast for Game 4 between the Cavaliers and Celtics, things between Shaq and Chuck got a little heated. Shaq threw Chuck’s single Finals appearance in his face, and Barkley came back with an accusation of Shaq riding Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant’s coattails, a sore spot if there every was one for the big fella.
From there, things went all the way downhill to threats of face-punching and chicken-wing-throwing.
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/867227100092215296
Proud men both, protective of their lengthy career accomplishments, and hypersensitive to the criticisms they hear frequently — Shaq needed an elite wingman and Barkley couldn’t win it all. We’re not here to pass judgement but Barkley might want to take a look at the numbers before he starts trying to chip away at Shaq’s resume.
The bottom line is that both guys were among the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen. They’re both in the Hall-of-Fame and both securely entrenched in the history of the league. Maybe it’s time for a little zen meditation, to let it go, before their ring fetishization and envy destroys them both.
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Here’s to Kenny and Ernie for keeping it cool, talking the big fellas down and not diving under the table for cover.