‘Talk the talk’ – Shaquille O’Neal silences Charles Barkley with athletic feat after being dared by co-hosts
Shaquille O’Neal still has it. The legendary big man put a few opponents on a poster back in the day. X @NBAonTNTShaq is not a man to turn down a challenge[/caption] So when Inside the NBA co-hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith laid down the gauntlet, he was only too happy to oblige. Chuck accused Shaq of “living in the past” during a basketball debate and insisted he lost the ability to dunk five years ago. “Give me a ball,” the 52-year-old immediately bellowed. Barkley and Smith continued to prod, listing the injuries they thought O’Neal was about to suffer. “Don’t give him the ball. He gon’ kill himself on national TV,” joked Chuck. “Don’t talk the talk if you ain’t gonna walk,” added Smith as he begged the producers to throw the 7ft 1in giant a ball. In it came and O’Neal removed his blazer with purpose, strode over to a hoop, and slammed it down after a short run-up with his co-hosts’ jibes still ringing in his ears. The rest of the panel gave him deserved applause as they joked about their lack of an instant replay. “Put some respect on Shaq,” posted one viewer to X. “Unc still got it,” added another. X @NBAonTNTThe big man is made for TV[/caption] GettyShaq had no trouble reaching the rim in his prime[/caption] Shaq and Chuck are used to stealing the show with their playful competitions. A $5million bet raised a few eyebrows earlier this season. And on Tuesday night Barkley scored a slam dunk of his own with a well-aimed jibe. “Coaching and instilling confidence are two very different things,” O’Neal said during a lively segment. “No coach can give me or take away my confidence,” “Well, Hakeem did that,” Barkley shot back, referring to Hakeem Olajuwon’s performance against O’Neal in the 1995 NBA Finals. “No, he didn’t!” Shaq hit back as he brought up the numbers. Olajuwon scored 32.8 points per game to O’Neal’s 28.0 as the Houston Rockets triumphed. Shaq is a four-time NBA champion and enjoys mocking Barkley’s lack of a ring. But his friend probably won their latest round after getting under his skin. Inside the NBA is beloved by fans but faced an uncertain future after TNT Sports lost its NBA rights. ESPN has stepped in and will broadcast the show from 2025.
Shaquille O’Neal still has it.
The legendary big man put a few opponents on a poster back in the day.
So when Inside the NBA co-hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith laid down the gauntlet, he was only too happy to oblige.
Chuck accused Shaq of “living in the past” during a basketball debate and insisted he lost the ability to dunk five years ago.
“Give me a ball,” the 52-year-old immediately bellowed.
Barkley and Smith continued to prod, listing the injuries they thought O’Neal was about to suffer.
“Don’t give him the ball. He gon’ kill himself on national TV,” joked Chuck.
“Don’t talk the talk if you ain’t gonna walk,” added Smith as he begged the producers to throw the 7ft 1in giant a ball.
In it came and O’Neal removed his blazer with purpose, strode over to a hoop, and slammed it down after a short run-up with his co-hosts’ jibes still ringing in his ears.
The rest of the panel gave him deserved applause as they joked about their lack of an instant replay.
“Put some respect on Shaq,” posted one viewer to X.
“Unc still got it,” added another.
Shaq and Chuck are used to stealing the show with their playful competitions.
A $5million bet raised a few eyebrows earlier this season.
And on Tuesday night Barkley scored a slam dunk of his own with a well-aimed jibe.
“Coaching and instilling confidence are two very different things,” O’Neal said during a lively segment.
“No coach can give me or take away my confidence,”
“Well, Hakeem did that,” Barkley shot back, referring to Hakeem Olajuwon’s performance against O’Neal in the 1995 NBA Finals.
“No, he didn’t!” Shaq hit back as he brought up the numbers.
Olajuwon scored 32.8 points per game to O’Neal’s 28.0 as the Houston Rockets triumphed.
Shaq is a four-time NBA champion and enjoys mocking Barkley’s lack of a ring.
But his friend probably won their latest round after getting under his skin.
Inside the NBA is beloved by fans but faced an uncertain future after TNT Sports lost its NBA rights.
ESPN has stepped in and will broadcast the show from 2025.
