Shaq reveals TNT threatened to ‘fire’ him from Inside the NBA as LA Lakers legend declares ‘ours is the best show there is’

SHAQUILLE O’Neal opened up about his rocky start on Inside the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend joined the iconic TNT studio show in 2011.

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But it took time for O’Neal, 52, to develop chemistry with the rest of the cast, featuring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson.

In a recent episode of Draymond Green’s podcastShaq opened up about his early struggles on the show.

And the four-time NBA champion said TNT executives threatened to fire him if he didn’t start having fun.

“I wanted to be the black Bryant Gumbel and use big words,” O’Neal said.

“TNT said, ‘Son of a bitch, we’re going to fire you tomorrow. Be you.'”

“And I think that’s what makes our show the best there is.

“Rating G14. Barkley, Hall of Fame. Shaq, Hall of Fame. Kenny, two-time champion. Ernie, best analyst in the world.

“[TNT say] ‘You can be yourselves.’ We make fun of people, we tell jokes, we do a lot of things.

“Real people who have to get up for work in the morning, if we’re keeping you up past your bedtime, the least we want to do is entertain you.”

Warner Bros. executive vice president and head of sports content. Discovery’s Craig Barry used the same comparison to Bryant Gumbel when discussing O’Neal’s rocky start in The US Sun last year.

“He came out and tried to be Bryant Gumbel, but that didn’t really work,” Barry said.

“He really wasn’t that good. If you ask him, he’ll tell you he wasn’t that good.”

However, Barry said that Inside the NBA producers finally realized they were to blame for not utilizing Shaq’s comedic potential at the time.

I wanted to be the black Bryant Gumbel and use big words.

Shaquille O’Neal

TNT had an epiphany when the 7-foot-2 center tripped on set during an episode of the show in 2015.

“A kind of door opened for us and we realized it’s not Shaq. That’s us,” Barry said.

“We are not producing it correctly. He brings a totally different physical aspect to the show.”

Barry added, “We were like, wait a second. OK, we get it. Let’s let Shaq be Shaq for the whole set.

“And wherever he goes, whatever he does, we’ll be there.”

TNT is in danger of losing its TV rights to the NBA, with NBC reportedly close to taking control of the WBD network’s gaming package.

This would likely mean the end of Inside the NBA when TNT’s current broadcast deal expires after the 2024-25 season.