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Shaquille O’Neal had a memorable, profanity-laced breakdown as Inside the NBA went to commercial on Thursday night.
Following a race to the board with Charles Barkley, O’Neal admitted some fatigue to the live audience at TNT’s All-Star Weekend studio. O’Neal also chose to make light of the fact that he may be soon unemployed as a result of TNT losing live NBA rights at the end of the 2024-25 season.
“In the words of Marshawn Lynch, ‘I’m tired as s—, America,'” he said as the show went to commercial. “We’re getting fired anyway, Ernie. F— it.’
The board race on Inside the NBA has become an iconic recurring bit for the show — but it’s usually done at their main studio in Atlanta with a much shorter runway to the board. O’Neal and Barkley — who conceded the race before he got to the top of the ramp — may not have realized that when they took off for the board.
As for the Shaq’s future, multiple reports have suggested that Inside the NBA could continue next season as a licensed property of ESPN. However, a deal has not been made official.
If this is, in-fact, it for Inside the NBA, then Shaq, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson seem intent on providing as much entertainment as possible for their audience while the show is still going.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
