Kenny Smith Just Shoved Shaq Into a Christmas Tree (Again)

By Brian Jones

Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal are at it again. During the TNT show Inside the NBA, the two basketball legends were seen racing to the back of the set, and Smith pushed O'Neal into a Christmas tree. The two other co-hosts, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, had to help Shaq out of the tree, ending a hilarious segment.

"Alright Kenny," O'Neal said as he was getting out of the tree. "Kenny, this means war." There's no doubt, O'Neal will get his revenge on Smith, but he decided to voluntarily jump into the tree later in the show. This isn't the first time Smith made O'Neal have a Christmas tree for a meal. Back in 2014, the two raced again and Smith shoved O'Neal into a much smaller tree, which didn't do enough to break his fall. 

Those segments are why Inside the NBA is the most popular sports pregame show on television. In October, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports announced that all four co-hosts on Inside the NBA have signed new contracts with TNT. The full details of the contracts were not announced but all four signed 10-year deals. 

"Our partnership with the NBA is very important to us and this long-term agreement with the Inside the NBA team is recognition of their significance to that relationship," Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, said in a statement at the time. "Inside the NBA epitomizes the creativity and innovative spirit we've established throughout our successful, long-standing legacy with the league."   

"We're all a big family — Ernie, Kenny and Shaquille are brothers to me — and I wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for them and all the amazing people who work on our show," said Barkley, in a statement. "I'm not gonna lie, though, this is a life-altering deal…and I'm blessed to be able to do live television for a living."  

Inside the NBA was launched in 1989 and has won 17 Sports Emmy Awards. The show was also inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2016, becoming the third sports show to receive the honor with the other two being SportsCenter and Monday Night Football. 

0comments
Start the Conversation

of