Charles Barkley Urges Shaq to Pull a George Clooney & Thank TNT Crew After “27 Years” of Tolerance

Would you donate a couple of million dollars to your decades-old friends from your $500 million? Shaquille O’Neal was recently in a similar position on Inside the NBA with his co-hosts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.

During a recent segment of the show, the banter kicked off with Barkley taking a playful jab at Shaq, saying, “You ain’t the only person got money.” Kenny Smith chimed in, adding, “He got a lot of money, though.”

Acknowledging the truth in Kenny’s observation, Barkley followed it up with a humorous yet bold demand. “You should give me, Ernie, and Kenny each a couple million dollars.” When asked why Big Diesel should consider such generosity, Barkley cited George Clooney’s famous gesture of gifting $1 million to each of his closest friends.

What does Shaq have to do with it, you ask? Chuck’s reasoning was simple yet heartfelt. “Because we work with [you] for 27 years.”

Barkley’s logic draws inspiration from Clooney, the 63-year-old actor who attributed much of his success to his closest friends. In 2013, Clooney decided to repay them in a grand gesture. According to Rande Gerber, Clooney’s long-time friend and business partner, the actor purchased 14 Tumi suitcases, filling each with $1 million in cash. He invited his friends to a dinner party and surprised them with the suitcases as a token of gratitude.

Now, it’s not as if Shaq steps back in such a display of his wealth.

Shaquille O’Neal once sponsored his 15 friends for their master

Imagine walking into a business meeting and feeling overlooked because people assume you don’t understand the conversation. That’s exactly what happened to NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. Frustrated by the lack of respect for his business savvy, Shaq decided to take matters into his own hands—literally—by earning a master’s degree.

During an appearance on the ‘Be Better Off Show’, Shaq shared how he enrolled at the University of Phoenix to prove he could master the language of business. But there was a twist. The university’s master’s program was primarily online, and Shaq wanted in-person classes.

When the university told him they needed at least 15 students for a physical class, Shaq didn’t back down. Instead, he paid for 15 of his friends to join him. Yes, you read that right—he covered their tuition so they could all learn together. While it may not be the couple million dollars Charles Barkley jokingly demanded, such a gesture for the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew would still be a heartfelt moment.