'Get your hands off me': Shaquille O'Neal throws Stephen A Smith out during pregame show in a lighthearted moment
Shaquille O'Neal and Stephen A. Smith. Image via: Ethan Miller - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty |Just before tipoff of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, a moment of spontaneous hilarity unfolded on live television. It is no secret that Inside the NBA is moving to ESPN from TNT.
During a crossover segment between ESPN and TNT, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith brought his signature energy to the set of Inside the NBA, resulting in a playful clash with Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith.
Shaquille O'Neal
showed Stephen A. Smith out, but it's all love
In what fans are calling one of the funniest moments of the Finals pregame coverage, Stephen A. Smith walked onto the Inside the NBA set unannounced, getting in the faces of Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. Smith wasted no time pushing boundaries—literally—by touching Shaq's head, prompting an exaggerated but hilarious reaction from the NBA legend.
'Get your hands off me, Stephen A. Smith,' said O'Neal, dressed in a brown suit, holding the mic in mock protest. The set erupted in laughter, with Kenny Smith jumping in, echoing, 'Back up off my guy, man!'
Despite the apparent theatrics, the chemistry between the analysts was clear. As the show continued, Stephen A. kept up his antics, interacting with the panel and playfully testing the boundaries of live television decorum.
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At one point, O'Neal quipped, 'Bring me some hot chocolate so I can spill it on your Blazer,' poking fun at Stephen A.'s choice of outfit while keeping the mood light and jovial.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. Image via: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
The crew's animated reactions and laughter showed there were no hard feelings, only friendly rivalry and entertainment gold.
As the iconic Inside the NBA prepares to leave its longtime home at TNT, fans have been understandably anxious about how the beloved show will transition to ESPN in the 2025-26 season.
Fortunately, recent updates suggest the core of the show will remain untouched, especially its freewheeling postgame format.
According to Front Office Sports, ESPN plans to give Inside the NBA the same 'extensive' postgame airtime that viewers have come to expect. That means fans can still count on Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal delivering their signature mix of analysis, comedy, and chaos without being squeezed by strict runtime limitations.
'There will be an extensive post-game show, say sources. ESPN's goal is to let the post-game segment run as long as it does now on TNT,' the report noted.
Still, not everyone on the crew is at ease. Kenny Smith shared his lingering concerns in a recent interview with The New Yorker, focusing on the lack of control the crew had in negotiating the move.
'We have the same crew of people doing the show,' Smith said. 'But the timing: Are we a half hour now? Are we forty-five minutes? Fifteen minutes?'
Also Read:
"NBA stars will be forever stained": Stephen A. Smith torches today's players as league makes last-ditch effort to save All-Star Weekend
He added, 'That was the only part that made me uncomfortable and disheartened,' Smith added. 'Because I felt that the four of us should have went into ABC to negotiate that deal... we are the I.P. now.'
Now, only time will tell the actual scenario of the fan-favorite show after the historic move.
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