Shaquille O’Neal knows how to steal the spotlight, even when he’s just heading to the bathroom. On Monday night, during TNT’s Inside the NBA broadcast, the Hall of Famer suddenly popped out of his chair and speed-walked off set, cutting into Kenny Smith’s analysis of Kawhi Leonard mid-sentence. No explanation was needed. The urgency said it all.
As Shaq hustled out, Smith asked, “You alright, big fella?” to which O’Neal motioned for the crew to keep talking. What followed was a classic Inside moment- Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Smith couldn’t stop laughing. Barkley cracked, “Hey, take some matches with you,” while Smith added, “It’s that olive oil you been drinking.”
The crew has long joked about Shaq’s odd health routines, including his recent kick of drinking olive oil to clean his gut. This time, it backfired. Or so fans believe.
And to think, we almost lost Inside the NBA… pic.twitter.com/Uk1BnPTgLp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 22, 2025
Fans Think Shaq Didn’t Make It in Time
The internet exploded within minutes. While O’Neal returned shortly after, acting unfazed and blaming Barkley for “drinking that water” and talking long-windedly about the incident, viewers weren’t buying it. A slow-motion replay of his bathroom sprint didn’t help his case.
Social media didn’t hold back.
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One viewer tweeted, “Someone’s gotta pee real bad. Lol.”
Someone's gotta pee real bad. Lol.
— J (@jacksonb702) April 22, 2025
Another posted, “When it’s time, it’s time… wash your hands Shaq! That’s commitment right there!”
When it’s time, it’s time…….. wash your hands Shaq! That’s commitment right there!
— Erika (@MrsErikaA) April 22, 2025
But not everyone believed he made it in time. “Olive oil diet is no joke,” one user wrote, implying something worse might’ve gone down off-camera.
olive oil diet is no joke
— Sports Betting Simplified (@MySpariEdge) April 22, 2025
The reactions weren’t just about the moment. Some fans expressed concern over the show’s future. “We are losing Inside the NBA. ESPN is going to destroy this show,” read a more somber comment, reflecting recent uncertainty around TNT’s NBA rights deal.
We are losing Inside The NBA. ESPN is going to destroy this show
— Vincent Frost (@vfrostthefourth) April 22, 2025
Back on set, Shaq lightened the mood, apologizing with a smirk. “Sorry about that, America,” he said, before pinning some of the blame on Barkley for talking too much and delaying the commercial break.
It’s been a wild stretch for O’Neal. Just a night earlier, he mistakenly claimed former NBA player Billy Ray Bates had passed away, prompting a public correction from Johnson on the next show.
For now, the bathroom run is just another chaotic highlight in Inside the NBA’s legacy. But judging by the online buzz, fans won’t forget Shaq’s live TV dash, or speculate about what really happened, anytime soon.
