Shaq Gets Introduced as Shaquille “I Hate Charles Barkley” O’Neal While Receiving His Master’s Degree From LSU

An announcer playfully mocked Charles Barkley during Shaquille O'Neal's LSU graduation.

Shaq Gets Introduced as Shaquille “I Hate Charles Barkley” O’Neal While Receiving His Master’s Degree From LSU

Charles Barkley borrowed Shaquille O'Neal's catchphrase (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Shaquille O'Neal received his Master's degree from LSU, humorously introduced as "Shaquille 'I hate Charles Barkley' O'Neal."
  • O'Neal and Barkley, former NBA rivals, are now friends and co-panelists on Inside the NBA.
  • Fans reacted positively to O'Neal's playful trolling of Barkley during the graduation ceremony.

Former NBA superstars and Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have had their fair share of battles in the NBA in the past. There were times when the two even had a physical altercation and had to be separated by their teammates.

While they have shared some tense moments before, they have come a long way since. The two stars are good friends today and co-panelists on the Inside the NBA show, alongside Kenny Smith, hosted by Ernie Johnson.

Recently, O’Neal took the opportunity to troll Barkley during his graduation from LSU, the Louisiana State University, on Saturday. He asked the announcer to do him a little favor while calling out his name. The announcer introduced the three-time NBA champion as:

Shaquille ‘I hate Charles Barkley’ O’Neal.

Shaquille O’Neal has always been vocal about prioritizing education in life. He was receiving his Master’s of Liberal Arts from the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. It is one of the many degrees that O’Neal has earned over the years.

After the announcement, the crowd erupted in cheers for “Diesel”. O’Neal and Charles Barkley are huge fan favorites on the Inside the NBA show. The two are known for their banters, trolling each other, and their hilarious segments. This was the latest addition to O’Neal’s list of trolls of the former MVP.

However, it is impressive that O’Neal is continuing to rack up degrees after his NBA career. It is not often that a former professional athlete decides to pursue a degree after a successful playing career. O’Neal is already set up in life and has multiple business ventures in his name; hence, it is commendable to see him go out there and put in all that effort in this phase of his life.

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Fans react to Shaquille O’Neal trolling Charles Barkley during his graduation ceremony

It was Shaquille O’Neal’s second master’s degree. The funny introduction also goes on to show how committed O’Neal is when it comes to trolling Charles Barkley.

While it remains unconfirmed if O’Neal instructed the announcer to introduce him like that beforehand, it did steal the show as the fans absolutely loved it and reacted to it across social media.

Fans enjoyed the moment and the joke on Barkley. It remains to be seen if Chuck will have something to say about it soon.

Charles Barkley on Jason Collins’ death

Former first-round pick Jason Collins passed away due to his ongoing battle with cancer. Collins was the NBA’s first openly gay player. He played in the NBA for 13 seasons before retiring in 2014.

Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley called out society for being homophobic (Image credits – NBA Central/X)

Charles Barkley had a few words to share about the “homophobic” society today.

We live in a homophobic society. Anybody who think we ain’t got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they’re just stupid. There is such an animosity towards the gay community.

Charles Barkley on Inside The NBA

Collins came out 13 years ago and became the first openly gay professional athlete in any of the major leagues in the US. While it was a big deal back then to come out, Barkley believes it is still the same because society has not evolved much. Collins went on to become a champion of gay rights in all sports for several years.

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