FIRST Star Stephen A. Smith and NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal go way back.
The 56-year-old ESPN analyst and the 52-year-old NBA Hall of Famer have a relationship that goes back about three decades.
3
Smith recently gave insight into their relationship in an appearance on OGs Podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.
Discussing his “love” for the four-time NBA champion, Smith recalled how they met after he criticized O’Neal.
He said that when called upon by O’Neal, he stood his ground, something that would happen on several occasions.
Eventually, a friendship between the two grew, but at the urging of O’Neal’s mother, Lucille, he did not give up on the legendary great man.
“I give a lot of credit to his mom and his late dad, Sergeant, because mom would get me,” Smith said.
“I mean, mom told me off, Mommy Shaq told me off.”
“She was mad, because she loves me [and] I love her so much and everything, and she came up to me one day and said, ‘You’re too soft on my son.
“‘I don’t like the fact that you’re letting him off the hook. Do your job! Hold him accountable!'”
To which Smith said he responded, “Yes, ma’am!”
Reflecting on their friendship, Smith had nothing but the highest praise for O’Neal.
He described the 2000 MVP as “different,” joking about his willingness to “call you out” and “clown around” mercilessly.
Despite this, Smith added that O’Neal had the “biggest heart I’ve ever met.”
“There is no one who does more for people who don’t have rights, for people who are unhappy, for people who face challenges that ordinary people don’t have,” he explained.
O’Neal is known for his philanthropic work, having gone viral on several occasions for spontaneously helping those in need while shopping.
Inside the future of the NBA?
The operation of the NBA on TNT Sports is in great 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 appears poised to take over those rights in a $2.6 billion deal.
If TNT loses its NBA package, it will raise serious 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 15-time All-Star may have retired in 2011, but he remains a prolific figure on the nation’s screens.
Since stepping away from the court, O’Neal has been a regular face on TNT’s much-loved Inside The NBA, alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
Unfortunately, with TNT’s broadcast rights package set to end after the 2025 season, it currently appears unlikely that they will outbid the competition on a new deal.
As such, the future of Inside The NBA looks bleak.
It remains to be seen exactly what O’Neal plans to do if the program comes to an end or is moved elsewhere.
3
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
