Things got way too real on Inside the NBA Tuesday night as a conversation about DeMar DeRozan getting benched escalated into a shouting match between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaq and Chuck’s argument on ‘Inside the NBA’ devolved into bomb throwing and Shaq yelling ‘GOOGLE ME!’
It started over the Raptors and went in a whole other direction.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
From the jump, things started going bad when Shaq interrupted Chuck saying “No he don’t,” in response to Barkley’s claim that Raptors coach Dwane Casey needed to repair his relationship with DeRozan, after benching the team’s star.
The pair continued having a back-and-forth about the Raptors for 24 seconds, then things went off the rails.
Chuck: “No, just cuz you say something doesn’t make it true. It’s just your opinion.”
Shaq: “Me and Pat Riley never saw eye-to-eye, and what happened in Miami? I won. So it’s not true what you’re saying.”
Chuck: “That’s not true because Dwyane Wade was the man on that team, not you. Don’t even start it. Don’t even start it.”
Shaq: “I was a role player you’re right, but Pat and I, we didn’t get along. We didn’t get along. You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to a championship.”
Chuck: “I’m just saying ...”
Shaq: “Stop babying these players.
Chuck: “Just because you loud, doesn’t make you right. You’re wrong in this situation. You can yell, yell, yell ...
Shaq: “And that’s why you didn’t win, cuz you a baby. STOP BABYING THESE PLAYERS!”
Chuck: “I’m not babying these players.”
Shaq: “He don’t play. He don’t play, he gotta sit his ass down.”
Kenny: “He’s got to repair ...”
Shaq: “He ain’t got to repair nothing. He got to stop babying these players. You got babied [points at Chuck] and that’s why you ain’t win.”
Chuck: “I didn’t have Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant to carry me up and down the court.”
Shaq: “I GOT THREE FINALS MVPS, CHUCK! GOOGLE ME, CHUCK! GOOGLE ME! YOU SEE THAT?! [points at ring] GOOGLE ME!”
Ernie Johnson never would have let things escalate. Normally we’d do a “who won?” type thing, but it doesn’t really fit here. Shaq and Chuck were never going to agree to disagree, and both found ways to hit each other’s sore spots. Shaq went in on the “you never won,” thing — while Chuck focused on Shaq as second fiddle. The result was fireworks.
