Shaquille O’Neal found himself in an unexpected situation during the live post-game segment of TNT’s Inside the NBA on Monday night. Following the Los Angeles Clippers’ thrilling Game 2 victory over the Denver Nuggets, the Hall of Famer abruptly left the set, leaving his co-hosts in stitches.
As the crew broke down the game, Shaq suddenly stood up and made a beeline for the exit, leaving his co-hosts—Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith—momentarily puzzled. It didn’t take long for the group to piece together what was happening.
“That’s that olive oil you’ve been drinking,”
Smith quipped, referencing a cleanse Shaq had been touting earlier in the evening. Barkley, never one to miss an opportunity for humor, shouted after him,
“Take some matches with you!”
Shaq had to hustle out of Studio J 🤣😅 pic.twitter.com/HcAXHjqUki
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 22, 2025
After a brief absence, Shaq returned to the set, visibly relieved and in good spirits.
“Sorry about that, America,”
he joked, blaming Barkley for “talking so damn much” and delaying the commercial break.
Social media erupted with reactions to the moment, with many comparing Shaq’s dash to the infamous “Paul Pierce wheelchair incident” from the 2008 NBA Finals.
Shaq during the @NBAonTNT broadcast pic.twitter.com/38w3vhTGXF
— That Frank Sinatra Guy 🤌 (@MatthewASoprano) April 22, 2025
