'Jokic defense impression' – Shaquille O'Neal's wild TV moment sparks fan comparisons to Nuggets star

Time of India

22-04-2025

Shaquille O'Neal and Nikola Jokic. Image via: NBA on TNT/X | Garrett Ellwood / NBA / Getty Images
Shaquille O'Neal
often grabs headlines for his moments on of off camera. Recently, the NBA Hall of Famer hilariously walked out of his chair while on air at the
Inside the NBA
show at TNT. The reason is nothing but nature's call, as Shaq could not hold anymore, but the incident has gained wide attention, sparking reactions from fans online. Interestingly, some users have drawn a comparison of his walking style to Denver Nuggets standout
Nikola Jokic
.
Shaquille O'Neal's on-air bathroom break grabs wide attention
In one of the more unexpected twists of the NBA playoffs — and not from the court — Shaquille O'Neal nearly stole the spotlight from
Kawhi Leonard
's vintage performance. While Leonard was dropping 39 points to help the Clippers even the series against the Denver Nuggets, it was Shaq's sudden live TV exit that had viewers in stitches and the Inside the NBA studio buzzing.
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The TNT crew prepared to dive into the drama of the game, Shaq unexpectedly sprang up from his chair mid-sentence, just as Kenny Smith began analyzing Leonard's performance.
'You alright big fella?' Smith asked as Shaq silently walked off set. Without skipping a beat,
Charles Barkley
jumped in: 'We're on TV?' to which Shaq replied coolly, 'I know what we're doing, go ahead,' before vanishing off-screen.
The spontaneous moment instantly threw the set into organized chaos. Barkley quipped, 'It's all that olive oil you been drinking. Take some matches!' drawing laughter from Smith and host Ernie Johnson. Kenny added with a chuckle, 'He can't hold it. After 40 you can't hold it!' Johnson added, 'That's a first! That wasn't something planned, was it?'
Barkley and Smith revealed that O'Neal had recently taken to drinking olive oil on an empty stomach to 'cleanse his gut,' a wellness trick that Shaq had apparently become very enthusiastic about.
'He's been drinking [olive oil]... he read somewhere that if you drink a shot of olive oil…' Barkley began, before Johnson interrupted, 'I saw them doing that in the makeup room!' Smith finished the punchline: 'He's clearing his gut alright!'
The comedy didn't stop there. In true Inside the NBA fashion, the crew later did a slow-motion replay of Shaq's exit, complemented with commentary. 'Here he is… [I've] seen that face before… 'I can feel it,'' they joked. Johnson narrated Shaq's gait toward the door with NFL-like play-by-play accuracy.
After returning to his seat, Shaq said, 'Sorry about that, America,' before blaming Barkley for the timing. 'I had to go because this dude's talking so damn much,' he laughed. 'I'm sitting here like shut the hell up and hurry up!'
Fans compared Shaquille O'Neal's bathroom break walk to Nikola Jokic
The hilarious incident did not go unnoticed by the fans, as social media erupted with the response from NBA fans right after O'Neal's incident.
'He was doing his Jokic defense impression,' one fan wrote.
Another wrote, 'Bro really didn't care he just left.'
'He was doing his Jokic defence impression.'
'Shaq had to go to the toilet 🚽. He couldn't hold it anymore,' another user wrote on the platform.
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The incident is certainly a headline grabber as it has sparked laughter among his colleagues and wide NBA fans.
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