The NBA media landscape is changing as the 2024-25 season will likely be the last for Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson covering the league on TNT.
Under the NBA’s new media deal, ESPN, NBC and Amazon will be handling all of the primetime games, leaving TNT and Turner Sports in the cold barring a significant change.
Fans are understandably not happy with this as “Inside the NBA” with Shaq, Barkley and the rest of the crew is a weekly staple for basketball analysis and mostly entertainment.
In a recent appearance on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, O’Neal spoke on this being TNT’s final season and his hope that will not be the case:
“I have to be a consummate professional, so we definitely have one year left. And they’re working on some things, that’s all I’m at liberty to say… In a perfect world, I would love for us to stay together forever, but it’s in the hands of the powers right now. But this last year is gonna be a phenomenal year, you know Chuck is gonna go crazy, I’m gonna go crazy. It’s gonna be fun. Hopefully this is not the last year.”
While it seems that the ship has sailed for TNT to get back in the mix, O’Neal’s comments make it feel like there may still be a chance.
Regardless, as Shaq said, they will certainly enjoy this final upcoming season either way, as will fans watching them. NBA on TNT has been a staple for decades, and O’Neal, Barkley and the rest of the crew are the main reason for that and deserve their flowers.
Shaquille O’Neal can relate to Bronny and LeBron James
Having a son of his own that tried to make the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal recently spoke on how he can relate to Bronny and LeBron James and explained why he is rooting for the Lakers rookie to succeed.
“Little Bronny is my nephew. Happy for him. I wish him well. I know his work ethic and there’s a lot of storylines good and bad behind that. I just hope everything goes well. I just sat here with Marlon Wayans on my podcast, he said ‘I want my kids to be happy.’ And I want the young fella (Bronny) to be happy. And I kind of know what he’s going through because my son Shareef, he’s still trying,” O’Neal said.
“He was a good player, he had the heart attack situation, still trying to get in (the league). So the only thing for kids like that is they have a lot of pressure because they have the last name. They don’t even really get the opportunity to do what they want, they’re always gonna be compared to us. But I tell him all the time, we don’t need another basketball player in the family. I just want you to be happy. So right now, Shareef is with me at Reebok and we’re doing big things, we’re actually talking to a couple of your players, Mike, and that’s what it’s all about. So my wish for Bronny is to be happy. I hate the storylines, I hate the nepotism talk and all that, it doesn’t matter. He’s in, I want him to be happy and I want him to perform and I want him to do well. Because his son and my son are best friends. I’m not gonna jeopardize their relationship just by saying some shit. I wouldn’t say that shit anyways because LeBron and his family have always been good to me. He’s like a nephew to me, so I just wish him well.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
