TNT’s Inside the NBA is appealing not only because of its basketball commentary but also because of the co-hosts of the show. Shaquille O’Neal, for instance, has been delighting audiences since he joined the program over a decade ago. However, it would seem that the sports legend had to overcome a bit of a learning curve early on. Charles Barkley explained why the big man struggled during his early years as a broadcaster – and had his co-workers joking that he’d be “setting himself on fire” at some point.
Charles Barkley recently appeared on Paul George’s Podcast P, where he discussed the apparent cancellation of Inside the NBA and the sports broadcasting landscape. While explaining why ESPN and others can’t replicate the long-running TNT talk show, Barkley reflected on the growing pains the series has overcome over the years. The Round Mound of Rebound eventually remembered the period of transition that arose when Shaq joined the crew in 2011. As Barkley recalled, the Diesel was definitely enthusiastic – but maybe a bit too high-spirited:
When Shaq came on, we had some rough things going, because Shaq was really funny. He says, ‘I gotta do something tonight.’ And we’re like, ‘Ok.’ And then the next week, he’s like, ‘I gotta do something tonight.’ We’re like, ‘Ok.’ And, finally, we had to sit him down [and say] like, ‘Yo, man, we got seven more damn months of this shit. You can’t try to outdo yourself.’ The joke around the studio was, ‘Man, [we’re] about a month from Shaq trying to set himself on fire.’ He was trying to outdo [himself]. I was like, ‘No, man, this is a marathon. We’re on TV once a week in October, November, December, January, February – then we got the All-Star game, then we got two months of the playoffs. We’re not trying to outdo ourselves every night.’ We had to sit him down and say, ‘Yo, man, calm down. We got a long-ass season ahead.’
One gets the feeling that Shaquille O’Neal was aware of Inside the NBA’s reputation for showcasing wild antics, before he joined the show, given that he tried so hard in the beginning. However, as Charles Barkley laid out, filming that show isn’t a sprint but a marathon – one that sounds somewhat exhausting. It seems like O’Neal eventually got the hang of everything, though, based on how much of a natural he seems to be today. Later in his interview, Sir Charles went on to shower some praise on his friend and occasional verbal sparring partner:
[Shaq’s] been a great addition. He’s a fun dude. He’s fun to mess with, I love messing with him. He’s a big ‘ol softie. He’s very sensitive. I love messing with him. And, when I get him riled up, it’s one of the highlights of my damn night. I love it.
Essentially, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal are one of the greatest comedic broadcasting tandems of all time. Both men absolutely bring out the best – and wildest – sides of each other. Together, they’ve also gifted viewers with some of the most memorable moments in Inside’s illustrious history, which is saying a lot. (People still talk about that time that Barkley and O’Neal laughed uncontrollably after the Los Angeles Clippers called the cops on the Houston Rockets following an incident.) Aside from that, the two also rib each other off camera, such as when Shaq humorously mentioned Barkley while explaining when he knew he needed to lose weight.
The duo’s antics and more are reasons why fans were so upset to learn earlier this year that Inside the NBA was facing cancellation due to TNT losing the broadcast rights to the eponymous sports league. Amid that, many took to social media to reminisce about the series and share funny clips of Shaq and “Chuck” from over the years. As of right now, it would seem that Inside will indeed end following the 2024-2025 TV season. That’s a sad prospect, but the obvious silver lining is that the hosts will surely be aiming to deliver a truly fun, sentimental and downright hilarious send-off season of the show.
So Shaquille O’Neal should be at the top of his game just like fellow hosts Charles Barkley (who recently walked back his retirement comments), Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. The four-time NBA champion has come a long way as a broadcaster, and it’s been great to watch him grow into his role. I think fans of the series can all agree that the program is better off for him continuing to work on his craft, and ultimately opting not to set himself on fire.
