Shaquille O’Neal stunned fans with an X-rated rant on live television on Thursday night, before insisting: ‘We getting fired anyway!’
The NBA legend was appearing on ‘Inside the NBA’, which is in its final season on TNT before it moves to ESPN for the 2025-26 season.
O’Neal, though, is yet to sign a contract extension with the show and appeared to throw his future into further doubt when he dropped an F-bomb live on air.
With the show taking place in front of a live audience in San Francisco at the start of All-Star Weekend, O’Neal raced his friend and fellow analyst Charles Barkley to the video board at the back of the set.
Upon returning to the desk, he shouted: ‘In the words of Marshawn Lynch, I’m tired as s***,’ leaving his fellow hosts stunned.
He then followed that up with: ‘We getting fired anyway Ernie, f*** it!’
Shaquille O’Neal stunned the live studio audience with his F-bomb during the halftime report
NBA legend O’Neal is pictured at ‘Shaq’s Fun House’ in New Orleans during Super Bowl week
The final comment was to lead host Ernie Johnson, who is under contract into next season – while O’Neal’s own future remains up in the air.
He previously spoke about his desire to stay with TNT, before the show was plunged into doubt when it was revealed they were to stop carrying NBA games at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Instead, the league will be shown on ABC/ESPN, NBC and Prime Video from July, leaving TNT Sports in the dark.Â
In November, it was announced that ESPN and ABC had agreed a deal to broadcast ‘Inside the NBA’, saving the show.
According to Sports Illustrated, O’Neal wants to remain on the panel but was frustrated by initial press releases confirming the the same line-up – despite him not yet having put pen to paper.
It is believed that Shaq’s current contract expires on July 1, 2025, but no news has yet been revealed over an extension.Â
Inside the NBA is fronted by Johnson, with Shaq, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith the regular panel.Â
