Times change, season change, but Shaquille O’Neal’s shooting ability still remains the same.
The retired Los Angeles Lakers great took some three-pointers on the set of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” on Tuesday and provided some good comedy in the process. O’Neal was criticizing Lakers swingman Talen Horton-Tucker for going 1-for-13 from the field in a loss to Phoenix, claiming that he could have shot better. When co-host Candace Parker expressed skepticism, O’Neal decided to prove himself.
What ensued next was an abject disaster. O’Neal missed eight three-pointers in a row from the right wing, bricking some so badly that he had to claim, “That was a pass!” Take a look.
"Give me the ball!" 😂@SHAQ said he could shoot better than 1-13 and @Candace_Parker made him prove it.#InsideTheNBA presented by @Kia pic.twitter.com/XrIw3dIyMi
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 22, 2021
To O’Neal’s credit, he swished his ninth attempt, which allowed him to save face by saying, “I was just playing with y’all! I set y’all up!”
O’Neal’s lone three-point make equaled his total for his entire NBA career. He went 1-for-22 from deep in the NBA, succeeding only on a banked-in three-pointer at the end of a quarter in 1996 with Orlando.
The 49-year-old O’Neal was not exactly known for being a shooter in any other regard either. He infamously struggled with free throws during his career, making just 52.7 percent of them overall.
Still, O’Neal was right — he did shoot better than Horton-Tucker’s 1-for-13. Plus, at least O’Neal is never afraid to embarrass himself on national TV.
