O’Neal was on air with the rest of TNT’s popular “ Inside the NBA ” crew as part of Thursday night’s halftime report. O’Neal and co-host Charles Barkley had just held a “race to the board,” a recurring bit on the show.

During halftime of a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder on TNT, Shaq raced fellow Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley to the video board in the back of the set—as is tradition over the years. But this time was in front of a live audience in the Bay Area ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend.

O'Neal won the battle, outgunning the former 76ers and Suns star in the final stretch. He wasn't left without his fair share of battle scars, however. As he walked back to his seat, O'Neal rattled off a series of curse words in quick succession.