NBA legends, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley may have been the best of friends for a long time, but both of them have locked horns with each other on several occasions, both on and off the court. Though they have but heads quite a few times on air on the sets of ‘NBA on TNT’, they only went against each other once on the hardwood. In light of this said altercation, NBA on TNT host Ernie Johnson recently asked guest Michal B Jordan his opinion on the fight.
In 1999, during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, Shaq pushed Barkley after the whistle. Subsequently, Barkley threw the ball at Shaq’s head, which prompted the Big Diesel to swing at Barkley. The aforementioned altercation got so bad that both men ended up on the floor, with fellow players desperately trying to separate the two.
While addressing the infamous fight, Michael B. Jordan said something a bit different from the popular opinion. The now 36-year-old actor uttered a few words as Barkley refused to budge.
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Michael B. Jordan reveals the truth about the altercation between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors appeared on one of the recent episodes of “Inside the NBA’ for promotion of their new film ‘Creed 3’. They talked about a plethora of things before focusing on a very controversial incident. During the show, Johnson showed them a clip of the classic altercation between the two NBA powerhouses and asked the ‘Fruitvale Station’ actor who was the winner of the bout.
Instead of saying who the winner was, Michael B. Jordan disclosed his opinion on the fight. While addressing Barkley’s defense against Shaq’s seemingly vicious punches, Jordan said, “Na, na, na, Shaq ain’t wanna hurt you man. He’s from Newark. He ain’t really wanna hurt you. He is my brother.”?
Following his statement, Barkley chimed in and declared who he thought the winner was. Refusing to concede his position, the former Philadelphia 76ers star said, “But the guy on the bottom getting punched was probably losing the fight.”?
Sir Charles’s statements implied that he thinks he was the winner in the altercation as Shaq was on the bottom receiving a flurry punches from him at the end. Barkley also went on to brag about dodging a vicious right hook from the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
Shaq once knocked out Barkley in 1994
Hardcore basketball fans know that Shaq was a bit feisty whenever he was on the floor. During a game against the Phoenix Suns in 1994, he showed a glimpse of his character. The four-time champion elbowed the Chuckster out of nowhere. After getting elbowed, Barkley lay down on the floor writhing in pain for a while. However, fortunately, the 10-time All-Star was able to continue playing, ultimately securing the win for the Suns.
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What are your thoughts on the statements of Michael B Jordan and Charles Barkley? Let us know in the comments below.
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