NBA legend and analyst Shaquille O'Neal once again proved why he is a master of entertainment, this time during a Christmas Day broadcast. A hilarious, pre-planned stunt with his co-host Kenny Smith on ESPN's 'Inside the NBA' left the entire studio in splits after Shaq dramatically crashed into and broke a giant video board.
The Christmas Day Chaos on Inside the NBA
The incident unfolded during the halftime analysis of the Christmas Day game between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a bid to lighten the mood, Kenny Smith playfully tampered with Shaquille O'Neal's hat. This triggered a reaction from Shaq, who stood up and began chasing Smith across the set.
What seemed like a spontaneous chase quickly turned into an impromptu race towards the large video screen on the set. However, the 7-foot-1 former basketball star could not stop his momentum in time. Shaq crashed directly into the screen, breaking it upon impact and disappearing behind it. The sudden turn of events initially shocked everyone in the studio.
Revealing the Planned Prank and Studio Laughter
The shock, however, soon gave way to uncontrollable laughter from co-hosts Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith. Fortunately for Shaq, there were protective cushions placed behind the screen, which prevented any injury from the hard fall. Emerging from behind the broken board, O'Neal himself was laughing.
The presence of the cushions led to the big reveal. One of the co-hosts pointed out, "Look at the cushion back there. It was already there Shaq." At this moment, both Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith admitted that the entire race and crash was a pre-arranged prank. The four analysts then shared a great time laughing about the successful execution of their Christmas joke.
Result of the Christmas Game: Knicks Edge Past Cavaliers
While the off-screen action provided the comedy, the on-court game was a closely fought battle. The New York Knicks secured a narrow victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a final score of 126-124. The Cavaliers had started strong, building a 15-point lead in the first quarter, but lost their advantage entirely in the second quarter.
From that point, the Knicks fought hard to maintain their lead. The game's top scorers were Jalen Brunson for the Knicks and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers, each racking up 34 points. The 2-point margin made for a thrilling finish to the Christmas Day fixture.
