Jimmy Butler, The Reason Why Shaquille O’Neal’s Honeymoon With Charles Barkley Comes To An End

Jimmy Butler, The Reason Why Shaquille O’Neal’s Honeymoon With Charles Barkley Comes To An End.

Before Golden State Warriors supporters could take their seats for Wednesday night’s Western Conference Finals showdown against the Dallas Mavericks, they were treated to a heated confrontation outside the Chase Center.

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal got into a heated debate regarding the Eastern Conference series during TNT’s pregame show.

It All Started With Jimmy Butler’s 41-Point Performance

In response to Jimmy Butler’s 41-point performance in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, O’Neal stated that the Miami Heat player can score 40 points “with or without Marcus Smart.”

SHAQ & CHUCK GOT HEATED 🤣 #NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/ZqxId4U0Tp

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 19, 2022

Barkley and Kenny Smith tried to persuade Shaq that Butler’s performance would be difficult to duplicate if Smart returned from a right midfoot sprain.

“It’s tougher to score against the Defensive Player of the Year, fool!” Barkley exclaimed.

See Also: Grant Williams Of The Celtics Sets Boston Folklore With A Career-Best Performance In Game 7 vs. Bucks

The giant, however, did not change his mind.

Shaq stated, “Jimmy Butler is a tremendous player.” “He can get to 40 if he really wants to.”

Barkley was instructed by O’Neal to inquire of Dikembe Mutombo about scoring against a Defensive Player of the Year in the postseason. Barkley accused Shaq of riding the coattails of Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant after pointing out that they’re not talking about his playing abilities.

As Ernie Johnson battled to get the segment back on track, Wade, who was sitting right there, laughed. As  TNT transitions to a commercial break, Johnson directed them both to press the button on their microphones to turn them off, but Barkley and Shaq continued to argue.