SHAQ-PPROVAL
Shaquille O’Neal tells Draymond Green ‘you’re one of us’ after Warriors star’s controversial Inside the NBA stint
Shaq also opened up about his initial struggles on Inside the NBA
SHAQUILLE O'Neal has said he was glad to see Draymond Green join Inside the NBA during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors star made several appearances on the iconic TNT show during the postseason, sparking controversy with some of his remarks.
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Green, 34, came under fire for his overly negative analysis of the Minnesota Timberwolves during their postseason series with the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks.
But O'Neal, 52, seemingly had no issue with the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year's performance as a broadcaster.
"I think the reason why they hired you [is] you're very intelligent," Shaq told the Warriors forward in the latest episode of his YouTube show.
"You're definitely one of us. You know how to crack jokes.
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"You and Charles [Barkley], also, y'all have me rolling.
"Welcome to the team. I'm glad you're here."
Viewers accused Green of having a personal vendetta against Rudy Gobert after his scathing attacks on the Timberwolves center during the Nuggets series.
A few months earlier, the four-time All-Star infamously put Gobert in a headlock during Golden State's regular-season clash with Minnesota.
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Also, Wolves stars reportedly boycotted Inside the NBA after Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals series with the Mavericks because of Green's presence on the panel.
It "was a sign of support for Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns" after the pair were "subject of derisive and seemingly personal criticism" from Green, per The Athletic.
Shaq reveals TNT threatened to ‘fire him’ from Inside the NBA as LA Lakers legend declares ‘ours is best show out there’
Meanwhile, O'Neal opened up on his tough beginnings on the TNT show.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend told Green the network almost fired him as he struggled to develop chemistry with Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and host Ernie Johnson.
"I wanted to be the black Bryant Gumbel and use big words," Shaq said.
"TNT said, 'Motherf**ker, we’ll fire your a** tomorrow. Be you,'
Inside the NBA's future?
Inside the NBA's run on TNT Sports is in major doubt due to the NBA's broadcasting deals.
The Emmy-winning sports show is a fan favorite thanks to the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.
But TNT's broadcast deal with the NBA is up after next season and NBC looks set to take those rights in a $2.6bn deal.
If TNT loses its NBA package, it raises serious questions over the popular Inside the NBA.
One solution could be to recreate the show on another network, which snaps up the NBA rights.
"And I think that's what makes our show the best show out there.
"G14 classification. Barkley, Hall-of-Famer. Shaq, Hall-of-Famer. Kenny, two-time champion. Ernie, best analyst in the world.
"[TNT say] 'You guys can be yourself.' We make fun of people, we crack jokes, we do a lot of stuff.
"The real people who have to get up for work in the morning, if we're keeping you up past your bedtime the least we want to do is entertain you."
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Inside the NBA could come to an end next year after more than 30 seasons.
That's because NBC is reportedly close to snatching the Warner Bros. Discovery network's TV rights and leaving it without NBA games for the first time since the late 1980s.