Shaquille O’Neal Lost It After Chuck Barkley Said Kobe Bryant Carried Him: “I Got Three Finals MVPs. Google Me Chuck.”

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were arguably the most iconic duo to play together for the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe after Kareem and Magic but they are up there at top 2 for sure. Nevertheless, Shaq and Kobe got the Lakers the only three-peat in their history.

While both of them were individually brilliant, together they were almost unstoppable. However, many Lakers fans have often indulged in the discussion of who was the captain of that ship. Like how Michael Jordan receives most public credit for carrying the Bulls. It is natural that fans wanted to determine who deserves the credit here. However, when NBA players who have played them both have an opinion about this, it’s bound to feel more significant than a fan’s criticism. This is what happened when Charles Barkley, the 76ers and Suns legend, claimed the unthinkable.

O’Neal shuts down Barkley for claiming Kobe Bryant carried him

During the 2018 Playoffs, Shaq and Barkley engaged in a heated argument on “Inside the NBA” by NBA on TNT. This argument gave birth to the famous quote “Google me, Chuck”. What started this argument? After Shaq and Barkley disagreed upon the need for Dwane Casey to improve his relationship with DeRozan. That disagreement stemmed out into a full-fledged argument wherein Barkley ended up claiming that Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade carried Shaquille O’Neal to his championship rings.

For a player who had won four championship rings and won 3 Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, this statement was offensive. He reacted, “I got three finals MVP Chuck! Google me, Chuck. Google me. Yeah, you see that? Google me.”

Also Read: Kevin Garnett: ‘Charles Barkley Was a M*therf*cker. He Was 6’4 and He Played Like He Was 6’11–7 Foot’

Thankfully, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith calmed them down, and he rephrased what Barkley had to say. Had he not done that, who knows how heated this argument would’ve gotten.

What did this mean for Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kobe?

While this did not hamper any of their relationships, it made one thing clear. While there was no right answer for who carried whom, Shaq did not appreciate the disrespect. He felt that if not given the credit he deserves, he at least deserves equal credit as all his former teammates. Barkley and Shaq continue to host NBA on TNT together even today.

Watch This Story: Heres How LeBron James, Russell Westbrook & Other NBA Players Chose to Celebrate Thanksgiving in the Past Few Years