Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley’s Hostilities Continue as Shaquille O’Neal Makes Confrontation Date Official

Forget the court, it got heated at the broadcasting booth. Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith were an inch away from throwing hands. That’s when their own personal Dana White swooped in to make it real. Shaquille O’Neal declared the official bout since they were already in Las Vegas. It gave enough reason for both of them to commence the trash talk.

As everyone knew it would happen putting Stephen A. Smith with the Inside Guys, tensions flared. All in jest, of course. Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith were ready to prove there’s only one unfiltered analyst in the sports scene.

Leave it to Shaquille O’Neal to make the bout official. Be ready for, “Chuck vs Stephen A., May 18th in Vegas.” It’s a joke. There’s no official match for real. At least not yet. Yet these notorious, unfiltered sportscasters devolved into a war of words. Barkley went first, going after a glitch in time Smith would rather forget. “We know you can box but you’re definitely no Nolan Ryan when it comes to throwing out the first pitch!” Somebody send the burn unit for Stephen A.

The official page of NBA on TNT did the world a favor by retweeting the clip of Stephen A. Smith’s cringeworthy first pitch. It was back in September at the Yankee Stadium before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He couldn’t manifest Derek Jeter’s spirit, though he wore his jersey and roasted himself after his bad throw.

WATCH THIS STORY | Shaquille O’Neal Threatens Stephen A. Smith After New Studio Debut: “Im a Have to Call TEX JOHNSON”

As for boxing, there’s viral evidence of Smith hitting the mitts on social media. Barkley’s no slouch either. He took Larry Bird in a chokehold, remember? They might be even matched in the ring, but they’re dicey in other sports.

Shaq drags Stephen A. Smith’s pitch

The trash talk was contained between Smith and Barkley. Smith fired off heated one-liners like, “They should’ve never let you come to Vegas,” and “sort of like you golfin'” at Chuck for coming after his softball skills.

O’Neal was not only laying the groundwork for the Chuck vs Stephen A. match, but he was also milking Smith’s bad first pitch. Despite Smith’s pleading to keep the footage hidden, he demanded the producers show it to their viewers. That pitch did resurface when the big man crowned Smith No.1 in this week’s ‘Shaqtin the Fool’.

READ MORE: “No, Not Him”: Shaquille O’Neal Rejects ‘Superman’ Moniker for One NBA Superstar in Favor of Another

With every joke, Chuck vs Stephen A. gets more real. The T-Mobile Arena hosting the In-Season Tournament might as well reserve it for a battle of legends on May 18. Who would you put your money on?