Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal believes ESPN will be airing the popular pre-game show ‘Inside the NBA’ more frequently in its second season after fans clamored for more airings of the program.
Speaking to the Daily Mail hours before Monday night’s March Madness national championship game in Indianapolis, O’Neal revealed his thoughts on how the first season has gone after the show transitioned to the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’ from TNT.
‘It’s pretty much the same crew, same areas, just different networks,’ O’Neal told Daily Mail. ‘But you know, it’s pretty much the same. Charles [Barkley] was complaining about us not being on, but I’d rather not be in during the regular season.
‘Now is when the people need to hear us, and once playoffs start, you will definitely see us and we will definitely dominate the airwaves.’
While ‘Inside’ aired every Tuesday and Thursday night of the NBA season when it was a TNT property, ESPN has only shown the broadcast this 19 times so far this regular season, with one final airing this coming Sunday.
O’Neal says that after fans complained about the lack of the show’s tapings, he believes there will be an increased effort to air ‘Inside’ next year.
Shaquille O’Neal believes ESPN will adjust its schedule to air ‘Inside the NBA’ more often
The popular NBA show with O’Neal (far left), Ernie Johnson (center left), Kenny Smith (center right) and Charles Barkley (far right) is airing on ESPN for its first season after being on TNT
‘[The] feedback is they don’t get to see us a lot,’ O’Neal added. ‘So I’m sure [it was] because it was new to everybody.
‘So I’m sure ESPN is gonna make some adjustments, and, you know, we’ll definitely be on more next year. But through playoffs, I think the playoffs start in a couple weeks, you will definitely see us.’
O’Neal was in Indianapolis to watch the Final Four and to promote his latest sponsored product, Shaq-A-Licious Slams, a candy collaboration with the Hershey Company.
But he wasn’t the only O’Neal in town. His son, Shaqir, was taking part in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships.
Shaqir, a senior who played at Sacramento State, was victorious in the dunk contest with some acrobatic moves at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
‘I’m proud of him,’ Shaq said of his son’s performance. ‘I always trust my kids when people pay to see them run the show.
‘I know he made every dunk. And I don’t know why the other kids were missing four or five dunks, but you know, you can’t expect to win a contest and get you know fans by missing four or five dunks.
‘So I was impressed with the dunks he picked. I was impressed. You know, he made them.
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O’Neal was promoting his latest collab with Hershey’s, a candy called Shaq-a-Licious Slams
In Indianapolis, O’Neal hosted an episode of his show – ‘The Big Podcast’ – on Monday
O’Neal also announced the creation of a new dunking league that he is creating and leading
O’Neal knows all about dunking, having completed plenty of high flying techniques in his NBA career.
Now, he’s turning that knowledge and passion into a sports league dedicated to only dunking.
The ‘DUNKMAN’ league will feature 24 contestants in a round-robin format – with the winners fighting for a world championship and a grand prize of $500,000.
‘These athletes are innovators and DUNKMAN is going to give them a global stage, real stakes, and a chance to build careers doing what they love,’ O’Neal, who is the league’s founder and first commissioner, said in a statement.
‘We are transforming dunking from a one-night contest to the fastest growing professional sport off two feet.’
