Two days after Shaquille O’Neal was served with two lawsuits seeking payment from him for two different alleged crypto scams, Shaq was in sufficiently good humor to push the best player in football for a two-on-two basketball contest.
Via Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star, Shaq challenged Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a game of two-on-two hoops. O’Neal would be partnered with Kenny Smith, and Mahomes would play with teammate Travis Kelce.
The exchange happened during a TNT interview with Mahomes to promote The Match golf event.
It started after Mahomes explained that the ankle he injured against the Jaguars in the postseason is healing well.
“I’ve actually been working on my jump shot, too,” Mahomes said. “So I’m going to have to show you all that at some point.”
“I see what you did,” Shaq replied. “You told us about your jump shot. So that means you and Travis are challenging me and Kenny.”
Said Mahomes, “Free throws only.” Which is hilarious, since Shaq has horrible form and accuracy when it comes to shooting from the foul line.
Shaq insisted on two-on-two. “Why not?” he said. “You’re working on your jump shot.”
“You’re not moving very well, so I might have a chance,” Mahomes said.
“Actually, I did get a new hip,” Shaq replied.
That was when Charles Barkley made a not-so-subtle fat joke about Shaq (calling it “two-and-a-half-on-two”), Shaq made a far-less-subtle fat joke about Barkley (“I know your fat ass didn’t just call me one-and-a-half”) and that was the end of it.
Hopefully, it’ll happen. It could be far more entertaining than watching The Match, especially when Tom Brady decided last year to make fat jokes about the clearly non-fat Josh Allen.