Shaquille O’Neal Confirms Inside the NBA’s Fate With Silent Message on TNT’s Flagship Show

Since he officially retired from the NBA in 2011, four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal continued to be a part of the basketball world through TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ show. For over a decade, Shaq and the charismatic crew of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson Jr have entertained fans by providing their analysis of the players/games while occasionally playing goofy pranks on each other.

However, with TNT failing to secure a new NBA media rights deal, there have been speculations about whether ‘Inside the NBA’ will continue being on air. Through a cryptic post, Shaq may have provided an update on it.

A few hours ago, Shaq took to his official Instagram account to highlight a post on his story for his millions of followers. It highlighted the changing NBA landscape, and how it will cause fans, in the next few years, to bid adieu to many things that made the game of basketball special.

From LeBron James’ age no longer allowing him to be in the NBA for long to renowned commentators like Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy not holding on to their positions, the upcoming editions of the NBA are expected to be quite different from the previous years. Another thing highlighted in the post is the ‘fact’ that ‘Inside the NBA’ will be “coming to an end”. With Shaq himself highlighting this on Instagram, should people take this as an official confirmation?

Fans have been wondering about “Inside the NBA” show

With a $40 billion debt hanging over their shoulder, it was speculated a few months ago that TNT and its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery, could not hold on to its NBA media rights. The Wall Street Journal confirmed it as they reported that the league was finalizing a $76 billion deal with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC.

Before the news reached an official status, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had been attempting to keep the beloved show from sinking. During an interview back in mid-May, the former Lakers star expressed confidence that he and his co-hosts would not be going anywhere.

Even if TNT couldn’t keep the media rights, NBA Central reported that “Inside the NBA” show could be acquired by NBC. However, through his Instagram story, Shaq may have unintentionally ended the hopes of thousands of fans.

Unfazed by ‘Inside the NBA’s end, Shaquille O’Neal is focusing his energy on the ‘Diesel Festive Season’

With the status of ‘Inside the NBA’ looking bleaker with each passing day, fans want to know where the beloved cast will head next. Charles Barkley has already announced that the conclusion of the 2024-25 season will bring an official end to his broadcasting career. Shaq, however, has revealed no plans of retiring and is instead looking to get his music career back to the forefront.

The 52-year-old former NBA star recently took to his X account to reveal his plans post the NBA season. According to the list, his top priority is to bring his DJ Diesel persona back, as he wrote “Diesel Festival season starts now!”

Having been a rap music aficionado since the 90s, Shaquille O’Neal has released five studio albums, two soundtracks, and two compilation albums to his name. Using the ‘DJ Diesel’ persona, he has performed in various public concerts, often with his son Myles.

Recently, Shaq announced his plans to do a one-night performance at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on the 23rd of August, 2024. The former player will also hold shows in Buffalo on the 17th of August, and Orlando on the 19th of October. Therefore, Shaq’s plans for the near future are already set.

What are your thoughts on ‘Inside the NBA’ potentially coming to an end? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.