"Think of the weirdest place": Kenny Smith talks about Shaquille O'Neal's penchant to be in bad surroundings during conversations
Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and the rest of the TNT crew share a closer bond than you would know. Smith recently revealed that the quarter does talk in the offseason quite often. He recently shared some tidbits of how Shaq and Charles Barkley appear on calls during their time off.
The story about O'Neal is particularly the one that stood out. During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Smith revealed that Shaq FaceTime calls every time but doesn't pay much attention to where he is while video calling.
"Shaq always FaceTimes me," said Kenny Smith. "But he could be anywhere while he's FaceTiming. So think of the weirdest plays that you do not want to see someone."
Do the Inside The NBA guys talk in the off-season?
More often than you might think 😂
@TheJetOnTNT joined @TermineRadio & @TheFrankIsola at NBA Summer League. https://t.co/q5tdGAukvi
Shaquille O'Neal never seems to leave his comical side far behind. His co-workers from TNT have seen it all at this point. They have worked on-air together for over a decade and recently signed new extensions. It wouldn't be surprising to see new stories unfold like these, which often have fans adoring the bond the 'Inside' guys share.
Kenny Smith claims Victor Wembanyama will be an MVP soon
Kenny Smith is already diving into his analysis of players and teams for next season. The former NBA champion recently opined that the 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama would be the league's MVP in his fourth season.
Wembanyama came in as one of the most hyped prospects since LeBron James and is considered a generational talent. The Spurs winning the lottery also bodes well for his growth, as it's one of the best teams when it comes to building cultures and player development. Here's what Smith said about Wembanyama:
"In year four, he'll be the MVP of the league."
“In year four, he’ll be the MVP of the league.”
@TheJetOnTNT on Victor Wembanyama 👀 https://t.co/HxYNetmT1t
Smith reckons the Spurs will be good enough to contend, which will promote Wembanyama's MVP prospects. That's the impact he was expected to have on the team that drafted him in the NBA. Victor Wembanyama displayed some of those exceptional guard-like skills he possesses, standing at 7'4" tall during the Summer League recently.
With some decent pieces around him moving forward, the Spurs could be back among the league's elite. Meanwhile, head coach Gregg Popovich also signed a new five-year deal with the franchise, downplaying any retirement talks that caught headlines last summer.
Coach Pop's presence will be huge for Victor Wembanyama, which could ultimately lead to Kenny Smith's prediction of the latter winning an MVP award in his fourth year true.