Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal recently made an NSFW (Not Safe for Work) comment about getting fired while serving as a co-host of a TNT halftime show during the NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. This has prompted people to wonder whether Shaq is indeed getting sacked from his commentating job.
Here are all the details on whether Shaq was fired.
What was Shaq’s NSFW comment about getting fired?
Shaquille O’Neal and fellow Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley raced each other on Thursday night in San Francisco in front of a live audience on TNT. Shaq won the race by reaching the video board in the back of the set first. He subsequently went back to his seat and said, “In the words of Marshawn Lynch, I’m tired as s—, America. We’re getting fired anyway, Ernie, f— it!”
Shaq’s words had his co-hosts — Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson — laughing. Shaq and Barkley have had these races multiple times over the years. They have effectively become a tradition and almost an integral part of the program. As far as we can tell, the former professional basketball center has not been getting fired.
This is not the first time Shaq has used the F-word in front of a live audience. There are several instances in the past where he has used swear words, even from his days as a player. For example, in February 2020, Shaq used a variation of the F-word while speaking at CNN’s tribute to Kobe Bryant.
Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Shaquille O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion (2000–2002, 2006), three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000–2002), and one-time NBA Most Valuable Player (2000). He also won the Olympic gold medal as part of the US basketball delegation at the 1996 Atlanta event and the FIBA World Championship in Toronto, Ontario, in 1994. Since retirement, Shaq has become, among other things, an incredibly popular sports commentator.
