WATCH: Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley absolutely lose it over Kenny Smith's epic fall in one-man race to the board
The Inside the NBA crew has developed several running gags in their time together, including the one where the guys try to race Kenny Smith to the board in the studio background. Over the years, Kenny has had to race against both Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, and on some rare occasions, Ernie Johnson.
However, during a discussion about Game 5 between the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, Kenny unexpectedly found himself racing to the board alone. As he hurried to the board, he lost his footing on the stairs, stumbling in a moment that elicited cheeky guffaws from his co-hosts.
Chuck and Shaq couldn't contain their laughter at Kenny's misfortune, although Shaq did pause to ask if he was alright.
Watch the incident unfold here:
This particular gag began as a knock on Kenny's lack of speed when getting to the board. It is hard to pinpoint when it began since the crew has been together for so long but the reason why Kenny takes a while to get to the board is due to his injured knees.
This is a condition that was exacerbated by his years playing in the NBA but the root cause of it begins even before his playing days.
Also read: WATCH: Charles Barkley gets trolled by 2X NBA champ Kenny Smith after No. 4 Auburn's first-round loss to No. 13 Yale
What is the story behind Kenny Smith's knees?
Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA Champion, won both his titles during the Houston Rockets back-to-back title wins in 1994 and 1995. However, his NBA career almost panned out differently - or might not have happened at all - due to a serious injury detailed in his memoir, "Talk of Champions."
He wrote about the event which occurred in 1981 when he was in the eleventh grade. One particular Thursday, young Kenny Smith rushed out of school towards the subway, eager to get home early.
He and his friends barely made it onto the train before the doors closed. However, as he sat down on one of the chairs, he "heard the crackle and pop". Mistaking it for a bag of chips beneath him he tried to stand and check it.
At that point, he realized that he was unable to do so, let alone stretch his leg. Kenny wrote that his "growth had broken off and was dislodged inside the joint of my knee." He underwent surgery but his basketball career was already at risk.
However, he persevered through it and found himself playing college hoops at UNC with Michael Jordan before being drafted to the NBA where he played from 1987-1997.
In the NBA, he averaged 12.8 points and 5.5 assists per game. He was also a key member of the Rockets championship squad. He started every game in their back-to-back title runs and averaged 10.8 points per game in the Playoffs.