Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal ( Images Credit: Getty Images)
Over the years, NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have developed an undeniable bond on and off the court. Their playful banter on ‘Inside the NBA’ has entertained fans for years, but their friendship goes deeper than just teasing.

A surprising element of their relationship is the connection between their families. O’Neal and Barkley discovered that their mothers had been best friends for over 20 years, bringing the two NBA legends closer.

While the friendship is strong, Barkley never misses a chance to poke fun at Shaq during their time together on ‘Inside the NBA.’ In a recent appearance on ‘Fox Sports 910 Phoenix’, the former Houston Rockets star explained why he enjoys teasing Shaq so much.

“He is a good dude. He is a little sensitive, but I love bringing it; I love riding him,” Barkley said with a laugh.

Shaquille O’Neal Responds to Charles Barkley’s Claim About Caitlin Clark

Recently, Charles Barkley shared a bold claim regarding WNBA star Caitlin Clark. Barkley suggested that some in the WNBA may feel a sense of petty jealousy toward Clark due to her rising popularity.

This week, Shaquille O’Neal weighed in on the topic during an interview with ‘US Today Sports’ Sports Seriously.’ O’Neal acknowledged that professional jealousy exists in all fields, including sports, but believes it’s not as harsh as Barkley made it sound.

“There’s envious jealousy; there’s professional jealousy. Sure, there’s a lot of people who are professionally jealous. I am. I’m professionally jealous of a lot of people. I’m professionally jealous of Steph. He makes $60 million. But hey, that’s life,” Shaq said.

“Loudmouths like Chuck are talking about hating… It’s not hating. It’s like, good, but let’s slow it down a notch. As good as Caitlin Clark is, we’ve had a lot of young ladies who have been doing well and not getting props. People like props, and they want to feel good when you’re talking about them. It’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn,” he added.

Despite their differences of opinion, both Shaq and Barkley are known for teasing and poking fun at each other on and off the screen. How Barkley responds to his pal’s latest take will remain to be seen.