I’m Laughing Over Shaq Dropping An F-Bomb During NBA On TNT, But I’m More Focused On The Big TV Deal He Just Landed

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the more outspoken personalities present within the media landscape, as the former basketball player doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind. Nevertheless, I can’t say I expected what he did during NBA On TNT. At one point during the broadcast, O’Neal dropped an F-bomb and provided a humorous reason for doing that. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t laughing after witnessing the moment for myself. However, what really has my attention is the massive TV deal O’Neal just landed.

What Exactly Did Shaq Say On Inside The NBA?

Shaq along with co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley covered an NBA doubleheader this past Thursday. During the halftime report amid the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder game. The broadcasters eventually participated in their “race to the board” segment, doing so in humorous fashion. After that, the former Los Angeles Laker asserted that he was “tired as shit,” before letting out his F-bomb and further cracking up his colleagues. Check it out in the TikTok video below:

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What the basketball hall of famer is referring to is the status of Inside the NBA, which faced cancelation over the past year. This was due to the fact that TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, would be losing the broadcast rights to the sports league. Although that is indeed what’s happening, TNT is licensing the show to ESPN, starting this coming fall, in what’s become a historic deal. As part of the agreement, the show will remain on the air for the next 11 years.

Shaquille O’Neal’s assertion that he and his co-workers are getting “fired” is still valid, though. They won’t, after all, be on their current network, so it seems O’Neal has adopted a somewhat devil-may-care attitude. Funny enough, a televised moment like this aligns with an obvious silver lining that fans of the show dwelled on shortly after the series’ cancellation seemed certain last year. They argued that with this being the show’s final year on TNT, the hosts would go all out when it comes to their wild antics.

Over the course of his 14-year tenure on Inside, Shaq has certainly contributed to some of the show’s funniest moments (alongside Charles Barkley), and this F-bomb certainly takes the cake. I’ve really enjoyed watching him have fun while coming into his own as a broadcaster, so I’m pleased that the part-time DJ recently inked an agreement that’ll ensure he stays on TV for a while.

How Did Shaquille O’Neal Just Cement His TV Career For The Foreseeable Future?

After the ESPN/TNT licensing deal was struck, there was still a question as to whether Shaq would remain in the fold. Well, Front Office Sports reports that he’ll remain a member of the Inside the NBA panel after signing a deal to remain with TNT Sports long-term. Exactly how long that contract will last is unclear at this moment, but what has been reported is that the Big Shamrock will be paid $15 million per year. Needless to say, his employers are shelling out serious cash to keep him around.

This great news comes shortly after Charles Barkley announced his plans to remain with TNT. Barkley had previously been vocal about the fact that he’d fielded offers from NBC and Amazon. Nevertheless, the former Phoenix Sun also stressed that he’s still waiting to hear back about specifics regarding what his work schedule will look like moving forward. The 61-year-old broadcaster made his position clear, saying “I’m not going to work more as I get older.”

I’d imagine that the powers that be will do what they can to ensure that the Round Mound of Rebound, Shaq and their colleagues are comfortable as time goes on. The fact that Inside the NBA is set to remain on the air is exciting, and I chuckle at the prospect of seeing Shaq and co. delivering more comedy as time goes on. Given they’ll be on a Disney-owned network, though, I’d be very surprised if any F-bombs get dropped come this fall.