Shaquille O’ Neal to Join Barkley as TNT Analyst

After 19 years in the NBA, four-time world champion Shaquille O’Neal announced his next big career move on Thursday – the “Big AARP” will will take the fourth chair alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson on TNT’s emmy-award winning show, Inside The NBA.

O’Neal, the 15-time NBA All-Star center who retired from the sport earlier this June, has been named a full-time television NBA analyst for Turner Sports. Turner provides NBA coverage for TNT, NBA TV and NBA.com, which will also be a part of Shaq’s job description.

“I can’t wait to begin my new career with Turner,” O’Neal said. “Over the past several years the team at Turner has taken the NBA and entertainment, in general, to a whole new level. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the amazing team at Inside the NBA and I hope I can further the fans experience on a regular basis.”

O’Neal, who says he still expects to run for sheriff in the future, will be part of TNT’s coverage of All-Star Weekend — scheduled next season for Orlando, Fla., his first NBA home — and the playoffs.

His forthcoming on screen partner, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, is looking forward to the partnership and already has a new nickname to add to Shaq’s never ending list of monikers.

“The addition of ‘The Big Analytical’ will be terrific,” Smith said in a statement. “I can’t wait to make verbal passes to the most dominant center of our time.”

What are your thoughts on O’ Neal joining the TNT crew? Can you trump Smith’s nickname for Shaq?

via Christian Post