Bad News for Charles Barkley as 52-Year-Old Shaquille O’Neal Preps for 4th Degree

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley are often seen engaging back-and-forth during their analysis on NBA on TNT. We saw a glimpse of it when Barkley wasn’t impressed with Shaq’s breakdown of a game last year. Now it looks like in order to enhance his analytical lens Shaq is going to add a Master’s degree to his name.

On his podcast “The Big Podcast with Shaq” Episode 11, Big Man announced he’s preparing for another Master’s degree. His co-host Adam Lefkoe, asked about his plan to go to LSU or Harvard. To this, Shaquille O’Neal replied he could go anywhere, and it doesn’t matter which university he goes to. It’s more about the knowledge he wishes to imbibe.

“I’m making my announcement here. I am making preparations to get my master’s in sport psychology,” Shaq stated. The NBA icon added, “I will in the next three years be the foremost expert when it comes to sport psychology. So I read that but I don’t want to act like its affirmative yet, because I don’t have the title behind it. But I’m telling you now I’m preparing to go to school to get my Master’s.”

Big Diesel has three degrees on his resume so far. Shaq received a B.A. degree in General Studies from LSU in 2000 and then earned an online MBA degree from the University of Phoenix in 2005. He also added an education degree (Ed. D) in Human Resource Development in 2012.

During the conversation, Shaq talked about his options for where he could pursue his sports psychology degree, he also said, “I wanna be solidified when I say something.” To this, Lefkoe added, “So that someone talks on TNT you can be like I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

Shaq had more to add and gave a hint as to why he is looking to pursue the degree and may look to even get a doctorate in it. “When I say something as a sports psychologist, you can’t be like I’m hating be like. No, no, no, I’m educated in this field, that’s right! Masters, and I might get my doctorate in it too, I don’t know yet,” Shaq said.

Shaquille O’Neal getting his Master’s in sports psychology could make for an interesting dynamic on the TNT show with Charles Barkley.  Just in December last year Barkley, it appeared wasn’t impressed by the 4-time NBA Champion’s analysis of a game.

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Barkley didn’t Shaq’s game analysis seriously

Last year in December while dissecting the Pacers-Celtics game, Shaq highlighted how Pacers overcame their opponents due to late game stops. During Shaq’s comments, Barkley was seen laughing in the corner.

O’Neal took exception to this and said, “I would know that, and you wouldn’t, Chuck,” while pointing to his four championship rings. With Shaq gearing up for a sports psychology degree, things could get more spicy during game analysis on TNT.

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