Charles Barkley’s Shaquille O’Neal-Inspired Accessory Leaves NBA on TNT Crew Unimpressed

There’s something different about Chuck tonight. Charles Barkley sported a new accessory that may be inspired by Shaquille O’Neal. Unlike how Shaq pulls off the bespectacled look, Sir Charles is having a hard time selling his glasses. The Inside Crew and TNT viewers were not feeling it. In fact, Chuck’s glasses were the fifth member on Inside the NBA tonight.

After all the ribbing, Barkley attempted to pin it on veteran glass-wearer, Shaq. “Let me tell you something, I got these glasses when I saw you wearin’ ’em,” he told Shaq. He knows he’s pulling it off because he dubbed this serve as, “Four eyes of deliciousness.”

If only Chuck had the marketing skills Shaq has that convinced him to buy these glasses. O’Neal’s talent as an endorsement machine got the better of Barkley who was subjected to all kinds of jokes today. Ernie Johnson even volunteered Chuck for any welding to be done on the set because those glasses look better suited to safety goggles.

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Shaq wasn’t going to let him and his “Sanford glasses” have a moment of peace. He dubbed him the “Chuck, Barkley, and the Vodka Cranberries.” Barkley fired back, “Y’all hatin’ on my glasses. I think I look good.” 

Fans couldn’t let Chuck live this down either. His look was flooded with comparisons on X. While some compared him to a hamster or dog in oversized glasses or a turtle cartoon, most were reminded of that one character in gigantic bifocals from the 1989 Eddie Murphy-starrer, Harlem Nights.

Now the Round Mound of Rebound in Round Glasses is no newbie to the nerd-chic club. He’s been there before Shaq. Before Shaq’s tiny glasses trend had the Internet in splits, Chuck’s glasses raised a few brows.

Charles Barkley ‘looks’ salty

The last time Barkley’s glasses were a hot topic on Inside the NBA and online was in 2022. He was caught on camera resorting to a cringey method of keeping his glasses clean not recommended by anyone. It involved the Chuckster licking the glass and wiping the moistened spectacles.

“That’s how I clean my glasses,” Chuck said in his defense through his co-hosts cringing and laughing. “I need to be able to see. It’s more important for me to see than worry about hygiene. I can’t do anything without you filming it.” Mind you, Barkley was also caught licking his phone to keep it clean.

Barkley is the eternal victim of getting roasted. It got to a point that he once warned, “I’ll hit a man with glasses.” Considering everyone but Chuck wears glasses regularly, everyone was threatened. Despite the threat, how would you rate Chuck’s new eyewear?

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