SHAQUILLE O’Neal introduced his Inside the NBA colleagues to a comedic new line, leaving them in uncontrollable laughter.
Shaq, 52, showed off his intelligence during a segment of the second round of the NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
The TNT Sports stars dive into the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2.
Host Ernie Johnson asked Kenny Smith, 59, how Tyrese Haliburton should approach his duel with Jalen Brunson at that moment.
Smith advised the 6-foot-2 Pacers star to pick up the pace and get into the paint more often to make the most of his size advantage over the 6-foot-1 Brunson.
“My feet should be the color of the paint at Madison Square Garden,” the two-time NBA champion said of what Haliburton’s mindset should be.
But O’Neal didn’t seem convinced by his colleague’s argument.
The 7-foot-1 retired NBA center threw his pen on the table during Smith’s analysis, catching the attention of Charles Barkley.
When Barkley asked him to explain what he was doing, Smith joked that Shaq couldn’t understand his analogy with painting his feet.
In return, O’Neal jokingly threatened to punch Smith and then criticized him for “OBTS’n” instead of answering Johnson’s question.
Seeing his Inside the NBA castmates confused by the acronym, the Los Angeles Lakers icon said it meant “over there, bulls***ing.”
Smith started laughing and fell face first onto the table.
The rest of the panel and studio staff also laughed, as did Shaq himself.
The bizarre phrase came up again at the end of the segment, leading Johnson to praise O’Neal’s creativity.
“After all our years together, every now and then you still hear something you haven’t heard,” said the TNT Sports host.
“And that fits perfectly, Shaq.”
Inside the future of the NBA?
The operation of the NBA on TNT Sports is in doubt due to the NBA’s broadcast agreements.
The Emmy-winning sports show is a fan favorite thanks to the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.
But TNT’s broadcast deal with the NBA ends after next season and NBC is preparing a bid to take over those rights.
If TNT loses its NBA package, it will raise questions about the popular Inside the NBA.
One solution could be to recreate the show on another network, which would snatch the rights from the NBA.
The Knicks drew first blood, defeating the Pacers 121-117 in a thrilling Game 1 on Monday.
It featured a mind-blowing buzzer-beater at midcourt to end the half from New York’s Isaiah Hartenstein and a spectacular Eastbay dunk from Pacers forward Obi Toppin in his return to MSG.
Additionally, the referees made two controversial calls in the last minute of the match, both benefiting the Knicks.
Haliburton, who is dealing with back spasms, recorded just six points along with two rebounds, eight assists and four steals on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Brunson exploded for 43 points while adding six rebounds and six assists.
The Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson before Game 2, with the 7-foot-2 center likely to miss the remainder of the NBA playoffs with an ankle injury.
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