Every time TNT makes us worry about the Inside Guys, one of them makes a move. While the future of Inside the NBA was still uncertain, Charles Barkley went full steam ahead with Round Mound Media. Shaquille O’Neal’s already been in that business through Jersey Legends Productions, and the parent company Authentic Brands Group. Inside the NBA might be an ESPN commodity soon but it’s still not confirmed if that will include Shaq. It’s making the big man very frustrated. But that frustration is being channeled in creative ways.

While there’s still shadow of doubt about Shaq’s contract, he’s got some major projects in the works with his partners at Authentic. The entertainment arm, Authentic Studios has sold 14 projects to various outlets. Among them is a documentary that will follow Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson’s work to revive Reebok as the heads of their basketball division.

Authentic Studios has licensed its intellectual property to major studios like Warner Bros when they created the 2022 Austin Butler-starrer, Elvis. And its ties to Warner Bros Discovery goes deeper because of Shaq. At the moment it’s dicey though.

After WBD’s Turner Sports lost the NBA media rights battle, all the involved parties came to a decision to keep Inside the NBA going. The 35-year-old show will be licensed to ESPN with the original cast and crew operating from its usual base in Atlanta. While it’s a relief for the Inside Guys, the crew, and fans who were eager to keep it going, the on-air personalities are frustrated with TNT.

Charles Barkley has been dissatisfied with Turner’s entire management of the deal as kept the entire Inside crew in the dark of every decision. This is a sore point for Shaq too. While not involving its biggest stars (who, by the way, were previously meeting sponsors in New York to support TNT’s bid for the NBA package), Turner is yet to discuss O’Neal’s contract with him.

Shaq’s contract is different from the others. He doesn’t do March Madness and golf coverage like Chuck does. He signed an extension in 2022 along with the others but his contract expires in July 2025. TNT has to work out a new deal to let him continue when Inside the NBA goes to ESPN. According to insider reports, no one has approached O’Neal about his contract making him upset.

Shaq’s creative outlet through TNT struggles

When TNT was looking for new content to fill in the NBA void, Charles Barkley relaunched Round Mound Media. He’s got several projects in the works including a documentary on himself in conjunction with TNT. Shaq’s been in this business a lot longer but his new documentaries are perfectly timed with the uncertainty at TNT.

After Shaq launched Jersey Legends it was sold to Authentic Brands Group. They’d establish Authentic Studios in 2023 with four production units – David Beckham’s Studio 99, Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends, Authentic Productions and SI Studios.

Shaq’s also the second largest shareholder in the group with significant decision-making hold. He instigated Reebok’s acquisition from Adidas and returned to the brand he was the first signature athlete of. The new documentary appears to be a part of his Reebok Renaissance.

Authentic Studios president Colin Smeeton said it’s not a glorified Reebok commercial. “It’s really going to be about Shaquille’s journey and his evolution as a businessman. Reebok’s the vehicle, and it’s about his interest level, his passion of wanting to bring Reebok back to, in his mind, its rightful place…”

Authentic Brands Group holds all the IP rights of celebrities like Elvis Presley, David Beckham, Muhammad Ali, and Shaquille O’Neal. It has big plans to use its own production label to produce content tied to the various rights it owns.

Among the upcoming projects is a collaboration with Baz Luhrmann who directed The Great Gatsby. Luhrmann is in talks to direct and produce a documentary on Elvis Presley based on never-before-seen footage and recordings of the legend he uncovered while making Elvis.