The Inside the NBA crew is back. After limited appearances in the first half of the season ESPN has Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal on its airwaves three straight nights as the league comes out of the All-Star break to kick off the truly “robust” part of its schedule.
Things started to go sideways on the second night of the back-to-back-to-back as Charles Barkley misspoke during halftime of the Knicks-Rockets game on ABC. Asked why New York’s 13-point lead vanished in the first half, Barkley called the home team something that rhymed with Knicks.
Charles Barkley calls the New York Knicks the “Dicks” and sends Shaq rolling. 🏀🎙️📺🤣 #NBA pic.twitter.com/9JkcbiRX3k
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 22, 2026
Kenny and Shaq burst into laughter while Ernie kept his composure, but clearly the funniest part was that Barkley did not realize what happened. Even when they came back to the moment a short time later to show some posts on social media about the malapropism, Barkley was completely lost.
Shaq: “Because I was talking about my good friend Dick Vitale. Love you, Dick Vitale.”
Chuck: “Dick Vitale is a great man, isn’t he?
Shaq: “Yes, he is.”
Ernie: “I wish that were actually the reason.” 🏀🎙️🤣 #NBA https://t.co/UaHUb3qVZZ pic.twitter.com/9Mh3e0kbZ0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 22, 2026
This was not Barkley’s first awkward moment this weekend. After the Lakers beat the Clippers on Friday night, Barkley was talking about how the Lakers were not contenders as Austin Reaves waited with a headset on to be interviewed.
“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.”
Austin Reaves after overhearing Charles saying the Lakers aren’t a championship contender 😅 pic.twitter.com/jDXUTBQNCN
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2026
Just like that the viral moments are back. And now they’re on ESPN.