Basketball legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley are two of the most beloved analysts in the NBA world, the reason being their raw opinions and occasional bickering that viewers enjoy watching. However, fans recently witnessed one of those rare moments in the latest Inside the NBA episode where both Shaq and Barkley were on the same page when it came to league affairs. Hours before the Los Angeles Lakers-Memphis Grizzlies game concluded, the duo voiced their thoughts on the impact of Ja Morant’s absence from the team, which was ultimately proved wrong.

With Ja Morant sidelined due to his injured hand, the Memphis Grizzlies had to double their efforts on the court against the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After concluding Game 1 with a bang, the Lakers returned to the court for Game 2 against the Grizzlies who were missing three key pieces.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley voice their opinions

The Memphis Grizzlies entered the 2023 playoffs without Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, who suffered from a knee injury and a torn Achilles, respectively. To make matters worse, the team’s best player, Ja Morant, was sidelined for Game 2 due to the hand injury he sustained after his mid-game collision with Anthony Davis. When co-host and fellow analyst Ernie Johnson asked Shaq about the Grizzlies’ chances of winning without Morant, the Hall of Famer had quite an interesting take on the matter.?He said, “Memphis does not have their greatest player. Can?t feel sorry for them. Like me and Chuck like to say, ?you have to put your foot on their throat and you have to take ?em out’.”?

Similarly, Chuck believed that without Morant, Adams, and Clarke, the Grizzlies would have a hard time on the court, a situation that Barkley expected the Lakers to take advantage of. Agreeing with Shaq, he said, “I actually think Shaq hit the nail on the head. I think LeBron’s going to come out and be really really aggressive because as their leader, he’s like, ‘Guys, we not coming back to Memphis. Let’s just come out here and just whoop the hell out of these dudes. They don’t think they can beat us.'”

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Furthermore, he added, “So I expect LeBron and AD to be really aggressive. This will tell me if the Lakers are legit or not. Because Memphis don’t think they can win, especially now. And if LeBron comes out, AD aggressive, they get off to a good start, Memphis gonna say like, ‘Uh-Oh’.”

Grizzlies refute Shaq and Chuck’s beliefs

In contrast to Barkley’s and Shaq’s comments, the Memphis Grizzlies held their own against two of the best players in the league without Ja Morant. After taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter itself, the Grizzlies won the game 103-93 against the Lakers. Memphis center Xavier Tillman led the team by dropping 22 points and 13 rebounds against LeBron James’ game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds.

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The Grizzlies’ Game 2 victory has tied the series as the matchup now shifts to LA. Both teams will face each other for Game 3 on April 22 at the Crypto.com Arena.