In the world of sports broadcasting, Inside the NBA happens to be one of the most entertaining shows. The quartet of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and host Ernie Johnson have used their chemistry to keep audiences glued for a long time.
That chemistry is instant and natural as they are friends first, giving them the audacity to take shots at each other without fear of hurting anyone. Prime among them is when the two NBA Hall of Famers go at each other.
Considering their mothers are close friends, the two have on numerous occasions had heated debates, but ultimately cracking each other up. Highlights and clippings from the show run into millions of views especially when Barkley takes shots at O’Neal and vice versa.
But away from the studio, it is the four-time NBA champion who has had the upper hand. For instance, during the Super Bowl, the Big Aristotle clowned his colleague for not winning a championship. Now another video clip emerges of him again having a go at Barkley.
But this time, it was both an ode to his friend and a subtle shot at him. O’Neal is an investor in the Papa Johns pizza chain. A clipping from his work behind the counter shows the 52-year-old creating a pizza. Going by his larger-than-life mantra, he was seen adding a lot of cheese and pepperoni to finish it off. He then named it aptly.
This I call the Barkleyroni.
Shaquille O’Neal said in a video on Instagram
The naming method follows his own special edition which is called the Shaq-a-Roni. Considering Barkley’s love for pizza throughout his life, it was apt that his close friend made him a special one and named it after him.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley’s friendship started after their big fight
Charles Barkley was towards the end of his career when Shaquille O’Neal was the default superstar in the league. They were not friends back then, as was evident in their bust-up during a game in 1999.
Barkley did not like the way O’Neal blocked his shot, tapped his head, and then pushed him away. He threw the ball at the former LSU star with full force, prompting the Los Angeles Lakers big man to swing his left hand at Barkley.
But the then Houston Rockets star narrowly evaded the punch, and instead tangled with each other as they went crashing onto the floor. Teammates and staff pulled them apart to end the scuffle.
Shaq and Chuck’s moms were friends before they were 😂#TheInsideStory begins March 4 on TNT! pic.twitter.com/waK4RmOGHy
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 19, 2021
But as they revealed later, O’Neal received a phone call in the locker room from Barkley’s mother. He understood that his mother, Lucille O’Neal, was close friends with his opponent’s mother. Barkley’s mother then instructed O’Neal to stop fighting and mend things up.
The 7′ 1″ center then went into the hallway to find a laughing Barkley waiting for him. That motherly intervention helped them start a friendship that is going strong even after three decades. No wonder they try to take shots at each other as they can’t beat each other up.
