Shaquille O’Neal left fans stunned during a live broadcast of Inside the NBA on Thursday night, delivering an expletive-laden outburst before jokingly declaring, “We’re getting fired anyway!”
The NBA icon was part of the popular TNT show, which is in its final season before transitioning to ESPN for the 2025-26 season, Idman.biz reports citing Daily Mail.
With uncertainty surrounding his contract renewal, O’Neal’s comments fueled further speculation about his future with the program.
The episode, filmed in front of a live audience in San Francisco as part of the All-Star Weekend festivities, featured a lighthearted moment when O’Neal raced fellow analyst and longtime friend Charles Barkley to the video board at the back of the set. However, upon returning to the desk, he unexpectedly blurted out: “In the words of Marshawn Lynch, I am tired as s**,” leaving his co-hosts visibly shocked.
He then took it a step further, turning to host Ernie Johnson and adding, “We’re still getting fired, Ernie, f it!” The unexpected expressions caught the live studio audience off guard, creating a moment of surprise and laughter.
O’Neal’s remark was seemingly directed at Johnson, who remains under contract for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Shaq’s own future with the show remains uncertain. While he has previously expressed his desire to stay with TNT, the show’s future was cast into doubt when it was revealed that TNT will lose NBA broadcasting rights after the 2024-25 season.
Idman.biz
