Major news emerged Friday regarding Shaquille O’Neal’s future with TNT and “Inside the NBA.”
O’Neal will remain a part of the “Inside the NBA” crew after agreeing to a new contract with TNT, according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. Shaq’s new deal is expected to pay him over $15 million per year.
O’Neal had been in the last season of his contract with Turner, and rumors emerged late last year that it was not certain that he would remain part of the TNT crew ahead of the show’s move to ESPN next season. Reports in January indicated, however, that the two sides were nearing a new contract.
Shaq’s new contract ensures that the current “Inside the NBA” crew will all make the jump to ESPN next season under a settlement between the two networks. Charles Barkley has recently publicly committed to TNT despite some concerns about the move to a new network, while there has never been much doubt that Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith would remain with the show.
The “Inside the NBA” crew has been together since 2011, when Shaq officially joined the show. With the planned move to ESPN, it appears certain that the group will stay together for at least a few more years, much to the delight of NBA fans.
Ironically, Shaq joked Thursday night that he was going to get fired for what he was doing on the show. Clearly, that will not be the case.
