“Inside the NBA” on TNT has become a fixture during the NBA season on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With Ernie Johnson in the lead chair, along with co-hosts and former NBA players, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, the show never fails to bring the funny, on top of providing solid basketball analyses.
For this group it seems to be a part of their nightly act, and it’s usually between the two Basketball Hall of Famers, in Shaq and Chuck, who when they aren’t going at each other’s throats are usually pretty hilarious.
Following Wednesday’s playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, Barkley attempted to give the undermanned Grizzlies credit for playing so hard. As he did so, his remark was sort of an innuendo that caused the set, especially O’Neal, to laugh continuously.
“I’m kind of juggling two balls right here cause I’m real proud of what the Grizzlies did, that made me proud being a basketball player, hey let’s just go compete and see what happens, then you got the Lakers who went out there and dogged it, who went through the motions, shout-out to the Grizzlies for competing their behind off.”
It was typical banter and laughing that always seems to happen on the show. It even forced O’Neal to turn his head in attempt not to laugh, but to no avail.
Ernie Johnson Cracks Joke At Barkley’s Expense
In following the spirit of the moment, EJ didn’t miss the opportunity to take a shot at Barkley with this question:
“Is that what you’re trying to do.”
The remark was so on-point and showed how much Johnson has embraced the foolery of the show after years of seemingly trying to keep it all business. He’s embraced that his co-hosts are a class clowns at heart.
Barkley Likens Derrick White To Stephen A. Smith
Wednesday night’s jokes followed up Tuesday’s antics when Barkley clowned Boston Celtics guard Derrick White’s hairline, saying it looked like ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith’s.
The crew laughed and laughed at the joke, but White’s hairline, which is receding, is eerily reminiscent of Smith’s.
During Wednesday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith fired back at his good friends at TNT, saying.
“Listen, Derrick White is a very, very good player,” Smith said. “He’s also a very, very good man. I wish him nothing but the best. But I don’t think my hairline looks like that. I think it looks a little better than that.”
“First of all, the first thing I did was text them,” Smith said on “Get Up.” “I said, ‘I’m gonna get both of y’all.’ They were cracking up, dying laughing, texting me back like, ‘We love you, man.’ Oh, I’m gonna get y’all back.”
