Shaquille O'Neal's wordplay about Charles Barkley and Dick Bavetta had the studio in splits: "Chuck kissing Dick in the mouth"

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is known for his humorous personality and quick wit, but even he couldn't help but laugh at an unintentional joke he made during a recent television appearance.

During a recent appearance on TNT's 'Inside the NBA ', Shaquille O'Neal was discussing the former NBA player and current analyst's tendency to speak his mind on air. In order to illustrate his point, O'Neal referred to Charles Barkley as "Chuck," and said that he "likes to kiss Dick," referring to former NBA referee Dick Bavetta.

Both Shaquille O'Neal and the interviewer couldn't help but burst out laughing at the slip-up, with O'Neal even covering his face in embarrassment.

NBACentral

@TheNBACentral

Shaq trolls Charles Barkley for “kissing Dick in the mouth”

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Shaq trolls Charles Barkley for “kissing Dick in the mouth” https://t.co/kdQMh1ckEZ

Shaquille O’Neal caught in hilarious moment during Inside the NBA

Despite the embarrassing moment, Shaquille O'Neal was able to recover and continue the interview with his signature humor intact. The incident quickly went viral on social media, with many fans finding the mishap hilarious. Overall, it just goes to show that even the best of us can make a hilarious mistake every now and then. But with O'Neal's quick wit and good nature, he was able to laugh it off and keep the conversation going. O’Neal initially said the following:

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"You used to kiss up to them," Shaquille O'Neal said.

However, once Barkley refuted the claim that he would “kiss up” to the referees, the former LA Lakers man had the following retort:

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"Yes, you did. You kissed Dick in the mouth.”

DigginTrenches

@Kevin80679731

Watching the Knicks on TNT with Shaquille O’Neal , Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith is like watching The Players Haters Ball. Shaq is Pit Bull. Kenny Smith is Beautiful and Chuck is Mr. Roboto.

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Watching the Knicks on TNT with Shaquille O’Neal , Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith is like watching The Players Haters Ball. Shaq is Pit Bull. Kenny Smith is Beautiful and Chuck is Mr. Roboto. https://t.co/DKYtmh45xa

The phrase quickly caught on, with social media users posting memes and GIFs featuring the humorous wordplay. O'Neal himself even tweeted about the incident, saying that he had the studio in splits with his comment. Regardless of the intention behind the phrase, it's safe to say that "Chuck kissing Dick" will go down in NBA history as one of O'Neal's most memorable and entertaining moments.

Both pundits were professional enough to move on quickly form the incident and proceeded with the show. While the intention by O'Neal was simply to suggest that Barkley used to have a soft spot for referees during his career, the incident quickly turned hilarious!

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