Less than an hour into Inside the NBA coverage of the 2026-27 season, the always-honest Charles Barkley said something that caught host Ernie Johnson off guard.
During the NBA Tip-Off pregame show ahead of Wednesday night’s ESPN NBA doubleheader, Barkley mentioned that Shaquille O’Neal knows FBI Director Kash Patel. The way Barkley delivered the point had everyone on the crew, including O’Neal, laughing.
“Hey, Kenny. Should we be standing this close to Shaq?” Barkley asked.
“Why is that?” Kenny Smith responded.
“He’s been hanging out with Kash Patel,” Barkley explained. “That’s dangerous.”
“Oh!! Oh! Oh, I didn’t know you were gonna be going there,” Johnson said. “But I should have known you would.”
Charles Barkley: “Should we be standing this close to Shaq?… He’s been hanging out with Kash Patel. That’s dangerous.”
Ernie Johnson: “Oooh! Ooooh! Oh, I didn’t know you were going there. But I should have known you would.” https://t.co/zNk8Z2iT1o
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 21, 2026
“Alright, Chuck,” O’Neal responded while cracking up. “Alright, Chuck.”
“I got your back, big fella,” Barkley said. “We can hang out with who the hell we want to.”
Barkley was alluding to Patel naming O’Neal an honorary FBI Special Agent in September.
“This session is historic – FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country -Shaq- who graduated with this session and became an honorary FBI Special Agent,” Patel posted to X on Sept. 17.
And during the graduation ceremony, O’Neal joked about arresting Barkley.
“Some of you will go back to your regular jobs, some of you will go to specialized training,” O’Neal told the graduating class. “Some of you will go do what I do, be undercover. Well, I was undercover… But I just wanna say I appreciate you guys so much. Congratulations. I am not here for this; I am here for you… And if you see Charles Barkley, arrest him.”
Well, Barkley certainly got him back with the quip on Wednesday night.
The post Charles Barkley roasts Shaq over Kash Patel connection appeared first on Awful Announcing.