Charles Barkley Borrows Shaquille O’Neal’s Catchphrase To Clap Back at Kenny Smith

Charles Barkley was at his spontaneous best in the studio as he was reunited with Kenny Smith on TNT.

Charles Barkley Borrows Shaquille O’Neal’s Catchphrase To Clap Back at Kenny Smith

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

In Short
  • Charles Barkley used Shaquille O'Neal's catchphrase to humorously respond to Kenny Smith during a TNT broadcast.
  • Barkley expressed regret over being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, wishing to finish his career in Phoenix.
  • Tom Izzo defended his coaching style after Barkley criticized modern players for being too soft, emphasizing the importance of accountability.

Former NBA players Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal shared a few tense moments together during their time in the NBA. One such memorable instance took place in 1999 when the two big men had a heated altercation, which led to an on-court brawl, involving punches.

However, fast-forward to today, the two have a long-lasting friendship and are co-panelists on the Inside the NBA show hosted by Ernie Johnson. The two friends are also joined by another former player Kenny Smith. The four of them have taken the show to new levels and, is often regarded as the best sports show on American television.

Barkley and Smith were a part of the TNT Sports studio crew for the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. During a conversation, Barkley was praising the big men of the tournament for their athleticism.

Smith interrupted him by saying:

They [Today’s big men] would’ve been locking you up back in the day.

Chuck replied:

You better google me.

The response was Charles Barkley at his spontaneous best, and he got the whole crew in the studio laughing. The phrase is usually used by Shaquille O’Neal to taunt Barkley during debates, as O’Neal has four championships to his name, while the Chuckster ended his career without one.

The former foes-turned-friends are fan favorites on Inside the NBA. Barkley, who is well known for his trolling, often engages in humorous banters, arguments and friendly fights with O’Neal.

Chuck is back on TNT for the NCAA tournament after taking shots at his previous employers. Earlier this year, he even took shots at ESPN over scheduling conflicts with Inside the NBA. Even Kenny Smith, who is usually the more serious one amongst the three co-panelists, could not hold his laugh after Barkley’s response.

Tom Izzo comments on Charles Barkley defending his coaching style

Last week, Charles Barkley made some headlines for coming to the defense of the veteran coach, Tom Izzo. The Michigan State Spartans made their 17th Sweet Sixteen appearance under his tutelage. Izzo had come under fire for being outdated and too old-school for the modern-day game.

When asked about the comments Barkley made about him, Izzo responded:

Now we’re just supposed to hug and kiss everybody. You know what? Do your job right. Go to class and you won’t hear about not going to class. Kids have so many distractions they don’t stay focused on the task at hand. Accountability is going to be big until I leave.

Tom Izzo in his pre-Sweet 16 press conference

The Spartans were eliminated in the Sweet 16. They were beaten 67-63 by UConn. It will be a tough defeat to stomach for the Spartans, who started the game poorly and nearly pulled off the greatest comeback in MSU NCAA tournament history.

Charles Barkley wanted to stay with the Phoenix Suns

Charles Barkley played 16 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted into the league by the Philadelphia 76ers as the number five pick in the 1984 NBA draft. He spent eight seasons with the 76ers before getting traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he went on to achieve more in four seasons.

Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley (Image credits – NBA Central/X)

Barkley felt comfortable and at peace in Arizona, but was traded to the Houston Rockets. The trade shocked Barkley himself.

I wish the Suns would have never traded me to Houston. I called the Suns and said, ‘You guys thinking about trading me?’ They’re like, ‘No! Where’d you hear that rumor?’ Two days later, the Rockets called me back, I said, ‘They’re not gonna trade me, I’m the only player they got.’ They said, ‘Charles? If we trade for you, are you going to hold out?’ Five days later, I’m packing up, going to Houston. I wanted to finish my career in Phoenix. All I wanted was a chance to win. My last two years I sucked as a player but I was done.

Charles Barkley on the Dan Patrick Show

Barkley had a poor spell in Houston. He spent four seasons with the Rockets and was well past his prime. ‘The Chuckster’ ended his career without a championship.

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