Fact-Check: Shaquille O’Neal Has New Colleagues for NBA on TNT Show

Once a week wasn’t enough for Big Diesel. Shaquille O’Neal is back to NBA on TNT Tuesdays. The big man needs opponents to argue with since he only sees Charles Barkley on Thursdays. The regular Tuesday panel is back at it to perhaps leave Shaq tongue-tied for once. Joining him on TNT Tuesday are regulars, Adam Lefkoe, Jamal Crawford, and Candace Parker.

The 2024 edition kicked off with the pregame show at 7 pm EST and Shaq already ruffled a few feathers. He picked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Luka Doncic in the point guard race, against his co-host’s opinions and even for someone who fanboys over Doncic.

Jamal Crawford started the show with some laughter, or as Shaq put it, with a “rap video.” He’s proving he’s still that three-time Sixth Man of the Year pulling anklebreakers on unsuspecting TNT staff in the hallways and sending them in the bushes. Shaq’s not liking that since Crawford went from guest to regular this season, his style is outdoing him.

The new and upgraded Crawford has also been detached from the Blackberry courtesy of his co-hosts. What they can’t get him to give up is his phone holster that’s still attached to his hip. Meanwhile, Candace Parker is situated at the panel to keep Shaq grounded. The first thing O’Neal established is, “You look good, Boo-Boo.” But they do agree on the odds for the 76ers right now. Between Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, Shaq and Parker are seeing the Sixers as strong Playoff contenders.

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Also returning stylishly is The Big Podcast with Shaq co-host, Adam Lefkoe. That table hides his ever-changing kicks but keep an eye out for his sneakers this season. Lefkoe usually plays moderator on the panel. Which is needed considering, Shaq&Co. are getting fiery already.

TNT Tuesdays get ‘debatable’

To mark his new spot on the Tuesday show, ‘JCrossover’ is counting down the best crossovers of the season so far on ‘CrawsD Up.’ Among Stephen Curry, Desmond Bane, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Trae Young, fans voted The Chef for his ankle breaker.

SGA won somewhere. Shaquille O’Neal picked him as a better guard over Luka Doncic. He opened the social media floor for a debate on whether his claim has merit. It came as a shocker too since O’Neal has been Doncic’s hypeman for a long time. But he also recently named SGA among his favorite youngsters in the league right now.

READ MORE: Riches of $7.7 Billion Industry Fail to Tempt Shaquille O’Neal in His Chase for Unique Title in NFL History

The Big Aristotle will return to Inside the NBA on Thursday as usual. But how would you rate the 2024 premiere of TNT Tuesday?