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Jay-Z Reference Causes Shaquille O'Neal To Walk Off Set Of Inside The NBA

Shandel Richardson

Feb 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Recording artist Jay-Z attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Recording artist Jay-Z attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Inside The NBA show on TNT had another epic moment Tuesday night.

During the broadcast, Kenny Smith made a reference to the rapper Jay-Z. Smith was immediately interrupted by Charles Barkley, who said, "probably not a good time right now."

The conversation caused Shaquille O'Neal to walk off the set to hide the laughter. Here's a clip of the awkward moment.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was recently accused of raping a 13-year-old. The rapper has since denied the accusations.

He released a statement that read: "Whoever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?" the statement reads, in part. "These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case."

BARKLEY SIDES WITH JORDAN OVER LEBRON

Barkley has repeatedly praised LeBron James over the years.

He's just not ready to place James ahead of Michael Jordan. Speaking on the Mark Jackson podcast, Barkley once again said Jordan is still the superior player.

This time, he used the 30-point games stat to justify it. Jordan has accomplished the feat 562 times compared to James' 559. Jordan did it in seven fewer games, too.

"I ain't never gonna shade LeBron. I love LeBron," Barkley said. "He's a good dude. He's a great, great player. But to not have passed in Michael in 30-point games .. that's an incredible stat. He's still behind Michael and he's played seven years longer. You've got to admit that's an interesting factoid."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com