SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Shaquille O’Neal attends 2019 NBA Awards at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)
Before Golden State Warriors fans took their seats for Wednesday night’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, they witnessed a spirited showdown outside Chase Center.
During TNT’s pre-game show, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal got into a lively argument over the Eastern Conference series.
Reacting to Jimmy Butler’s 41-point performance in Tuesday’s Game 1 victory over the Boston Celtics, O’Neal said the Miami Heat star can score 40 again “with or without Marcus Smart.”
Barkley and Kenny Smith tried to reason with Shaq that Smart returning from a right mid-foot sprain would make it harder for Butler to replicate that performance.
“It’s harder to score on the Defensive Player of the Year, fool!” Barkley exclaimed.
But the big man wouldn’t budge.
“Jimmy Butler is a great player,” Shaq said. “If he want to get 40, he can get 40.”
O’Neal told Barkley to ask Dikembe Mutombo if he had any trouble scoring on a Defensive Player of the Year in the postseason. After pointing out that they’re not talking about his playing abilities, Barkley instead accused Shaq of “riding on Dwyane and Kobe’s coattails.”
Wade, who was sitting right there, laughed as Ernie Johnson struggled to get the segment back on track. Johnson instructed both of them to press the button on their microphones to turn them off, but Barkley and Shaq kept bickering as TNT transitioned to a commercial break.
These exchanges have become routine between Barkley and O’Neal. The Inside the NBA anchors seemed to hate each other one minute, only to laugh with each other later in the night.
Both Hall of Famers will now keep a close eye on Butler’s box score this series, especially if Smart comes back.
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