There was rejoicing within the NBA community when ESPN stepped in as a savior. In an agreement between WBD and the NBA, its iconic Emmy Winning Show ‘Inside The NBA’ has a new platform but the same ambiance. It means the quartet – Charles Barkley, Shaq, The Jet, and Johnson’s shenanigans and infectious dynamic will now have a bigger forefront within the NBA. And to welcome them to ESPN, the licensing house, the media giants’ biggest employee – Stephen A. Smith stepped up.

Despite being on a rival network at the time, the renowned analyst blasted Turner for their handling of the NBA’s media rights. “TNT dropped the ball here,” he said then. At that time, the 57-year-old may not have been able to predict the celebrated ‘Inside the NBA’ cast being his colleagues. But now that he can, the face of ESPN spared some kind words.

“The biggest thing is for all intents and purposes, they’re teammates, not just my brothers. So I’m looking forward to watching them continuing to show their greatness as commentators covering the game of basketball. It’s the best thing that could have happened for the NBA and the media industry,” he said on the Stephen A. Smith Show.

Having lost Adrian Wojnarowski and the purge of several of their most respected employees, ESPN may have managed space to accommodate the Turner-produced show. However, there is also an impending extension for Smith to be negotiated. Their NBA team is now deep. With the most popular show secured, Smith’s hold on his negotiations may not be as strong.

Hence, with no extension agreed upon yet, Smith also slid a warning in his congratulatory message to his “teammate.” “I couldn’t be happier. Wishing them nothing but the best. Looking forward to seeing my boys on the channel that I work on, at least at the moment,” Smith concluded.

In a previous interview, the revered analyst spoke about his value. With this essentially being his last contract year, Smith hopes to continue his tenure with ESPN. However, he didn’t discard the possibility of shifting networks.

“This is what I bring to the table. Do you value and appreciate me enough to give me what I think I deserve, or not? If you don’t, I respect that. I hope you respect the fact that somebody else might, and we go from there,” Stephen A. Smith said on The Deal.

Amidst Stephen A. Smith negotiations, what about Shaq?

As much as Stephen A. Smith is respected among ESPN, the biggest news is ‘Inside the NBA’. NBA fans around the world celebrated the show’s unique extension. It meant the fable crew continued to grace audiences with their magnetic energy. However, that’s only true for the three vintages of Barkley, Smith, and Ernie Johnson. Where does Shaquille O’Neal stand in this?

Not only did the Big Aristotle join the show late, but his deal extends only to the NBA. His panel mates have other responsibilities, such as covering NCAA basketball. Hence, while they have reportedly agreed to an extension, Shaquille O’Neal remains without one. And there seems to be some ‘frustration’ that has been harbored within the Hall of Famer.

“While sources say Shaq wants to remain on the show, he’s frustrated that there has been congratulations and press releases hyping that Inside the NBA is remaining the same while he is currently not under contract to be with the company next season,” Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina reported.

As far as his intentions, Shaquille O’Neal wants to remain a part of Inside the NBA. However, there is bound to be competition. Besides the show, Shaq has a large audience through his ‘Big Podcast’ on YouTube. Furthermore, Stephen A. Smith also has an impending extension. The two are reportedly great friends away from the sport. Say prominent networks such as NBC try to make something happen.

Do you think they could be a tandem soon? Or will Shaq keep his rage aside and sign an extension? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.