“Don’t Get Nice Now!”: Over 3 Decades After Sucker Punch Incident, 7’1 Giant Shaquille O’Neal Instigates Charles Barkley to Fight

The duo of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O?Neal on Inside the NBA on TNT are a roller coaster ride for viewers. With so many games to cover, the crew has a totally different approach to broadcasting to induce some funny moments. The legendary crew had another trick up their sleeve when they introduced a former NBA star, discussing an old incident. The legendary Charles Barkley was trolled by Shaq about a three-decade-old brawl in the NBA.

The studio introduced former NBA Champion, Scott Hastings, into the studio to create a funny skit about the brawl. In 1990, Hastings ended up sucker punching Charles Barkley in a massive brawl that broke out between the 76ers and Pistons during a game. The altercation started with Charles Barkley and Bill Laimbeer trying to punch each other.

Shaquille O?Neal trolls Charles Barkley for 76ers-Pistons brawl sucker punch

The Detroit Pistons faced the Philadelphia 76ers in 1990. And amidst many fouls and challenges in the game, Charles Barkley and Bill Laimbeer got into a fistfight. That fistfight led to both the teams jumping in to separate them or in this case, joining in.

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Meanwhile, Pistons player Scott Hastings decided to join in and sucker punch the 76ers legend in the face. The game back then was lenient on many things, and these brawls were not quite uncommon. In the heat of the game, punches were thrown and Barkley is still trolled for the sucker punch that he received from Hastings.

The 11-time All-Star?s colleagues were having none of it when they trolled him, and Barkley responded by sarcastically threatening Hastings. After showing a skit that the TNT studio crew created with Hastings, Hastings came on the show to talk to Barkley one-on-one.

Barkley was obviously in a jolly mood after looking at the funny skit and decided to talk to Hastings casually. The 76ers legend said ?Hey I gotta tell you something funny, when i came here to tape the podcast today..? Shaquille O’Neal decided to interrupt by saying ?Don?t get nice now? referring to the earlier threats by Barkley. The whole studio was left in splits after that.?

Incidentally, Barkley was half-jokingly talking about beating up Hastings before the skit started. Scott Hastings is an announcer currently with the Denver Nuggets.

Detroit Pistons in 1990

The Pistons weren?t into brawls for nothing, they were known as the Bad Boy Pistons for a reason. Every fight and every foul was met with aggression and passion by the players. Every player stood up for each other as they protected their teammates in games.?

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These kinds of plays would put pressure on referees to make tight decisions. However, the talent of the Pistons was undeniable, as they went on to win the NBA Championship that season.