"I'm gonna knock his a** out on sight" - Shaquille O’Neal recalls an incident where he was about to hit Charles Barkley
Shaquille O’Neal recalled an incident involving Charles Barkley as “The Big Podcast with Shaq” crew discussed Will Smith's Oscars altercation with Chris Rock. Smith slapped Rock on stage for a joke involving Smith’s wife, Jada Smtih, silencing the audience, and was later condemned for the act.
Everyone except O’Neal, including guest Jamal Crawford, believed what Smith did was wrong. But O’Neal felt no need to call out the star for what many consider unprofessional behavior.
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O’Neal recalled a punch he threw at Brad Miller of the Chicago Bulls when he was playing for the LA Lakers. Shaq said:
“I’m never gonna say I was wrong for throwing that punch at Brad Miller. You’re never gonna hear me say it. It happened. We move on.”
When it comes to professional misconduct, O’Neal has had a few such altercations. He has been involved in fights on court and has paid quite a few fines for doing so.
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O’Neal discussed a situation where he got into a fight with Charles Barkley and was infuriated:
“As soon as I got to the locker room, I already had it in my mind. I'm not washing my b***. I'm putting my clothes on. I'm getting straight to it. I'm gonna knock his a** out on sight. I was gonna knock his head off his shoulders.
“I got that call from the Queen. Charles' mom was on the line: 'Y'all need to stop that. Two legends shouldn't be doing that in front of all these kids that look up to you.’ And, like, when she said that, I’m like, 'Momma, you're right.
“And, then, when I'm walking the hallway, he already out there, 'cause his momma gave him the same message. And we shook hands and we laughed and we've been boys ever since.”
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley often argue but respect each other
O’Neal and Barkley are among some of the greatest players the league has ever seen, which naturally gives rise to a rivalry between the two. They’ve always been on opposing sides and have gotten into it a few times. Their careers after basketball gave them a platform to lock horns again, with differing opinions as NBA analysts.
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Despite his talent, Barkley never won an NBA title. This is something O’Neal has used as a wild card in arguments. On a previous episode of “TNT Inside the NBA,” Shaq spoke about his relationship with Barkley:
“When we do talk about issues, you have three intelligent people and Charles that gives their point of view. The thing that we love about each other is that we can have a different opinion and respect each other.”
Being on the professional side of the league, physical altercations are out of the question – but their arguments and bickering are a source of entertainment. Their co-hosts Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith are also among those who enjoy seeing them battle it out with words.