Shaquille O’Neal is a lively man. He can turn any situation into a laughing one if he has his friends with him. Charles Barkley has not only been an NBA analyst just like Shaq but also a true friend to him for a long time. The most recent hot-favorite scuffle between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves was discussed on NBA on TNT.
Shaq really put Chuck in a chokehold 🤣 pic.twitter.com/swyvgEeiun
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 15, 2023
Ernie Johnson, the host of NBA on TNT, was joined by O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley. While analyzing the fight that broke out and resulted in three ejections, including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Warriors, Shaq got up from his seat and dapped up his co-analysts, but he had a different way of showing love to Charles Barkley. He wrapped his arm around Barkley’s neck, imitating Draymond’s chokehold on Gobert.
Shaquille O’Neal once choked his teammate in the locker room 25 minutes before the game
While Shaquille O’Neal was still an NBA player, he did a lot of strange things, but maybe nothing compares to this one. Shaq had admitted that he choked out Gordan Giricek in the Suns’ locker room while he was a player for the Phoenix Suns.
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“I said ‘Gordan, I only got 15 minutes. Shut up. Don’t say none of that to me but he was playing so I put him in a choke hold and Steve came out from the bathroom and saw him on the floor,” Shaq said. Grant Hill once revealed that O’Neal and Giricek frequently had trash talk because the Croatian “never passed the ball” inside to Shaq.
Hill also stated that the altercation took place immediately following a team meeting, just 25 minutes before the Suns played the Dallas Mavericks. Although Gordan was a fantastic Croatian three-point shooter, he hesitated many times to throw the ball to Shaq inside the arc. This ultimately led to the sharpshooting guard passing out as the Lakers icon lost it in the locker room and put him in a sleeper hold.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have a long friendship
Although it may look like Shaq and Barkley can’t stand each other during their disagreements on TV, in actuality, they share a unique and special friendship. Their unusual bond arose from a memorable altercation that transpired at an NBA game in 1999. O’Neal once related how Barkley’s mother, Charcey Glenn, and his mother, Lucille O’Neal, demanded that they become friends after the fight.
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
The NBA superstars had no idea that their moms had been great friends for a very long time. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have gained notoriety for their verbal sparring. They have developed into a cherished pair on Inside the NBA because of their humor, which often consists of practical jokes and lighthearted fights like the very recent chokehold that the big man gave to Chuck.