Shaquille O’Neal Leaves Charles Barkley Speechless With Touching Message

• NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal left Charles Barkley speechless with a message about their friendship
• O'Neal and Barkley used to battle in the NBA in the 90s and got into a few altercations on the court
• The two are now close friends with O'Neal recently calling Barkley 'the older brother he never had'

Behind the playful on-screen animosity and back and forth between Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley is a deep friendship bond that has existed for years.

O'Neal recently shared a beautiful message with Barkley, leaving the legendary NBA star speechless during a segment on NBA TV.

O'Neal and Barkley battled on the hardwood in the 1990s and even had an altercation which they resolved. Since retirement, both have been on screen as analysts.

Their TNT Inside the NBA show is arguably the best show in basketball. The on-screen banter between the two has made it a must-watch for any basketball fan.

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The show features O'Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith, and host Ernie Johnson. Shaq has been with the show since 2011, while Barkley has been an analyst with the program since 2000, per the Athletic.

Shaq's message to Barkley

The duo appeared on NBA TV’s pregame show in Denver ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and Shaq had some nice things to say about Barkley.

The Lakers legend called the 1993 MVP 'the older brother he never had'.

“His mom and my mom had the sweetest friendship, and I didn’t even know. I used to hate Charles. We were getting ready to get into a fight, and before I could get to the locker room and put my clothes on to go down to the locker room and see him, I get a call from his mother… who said ‘don’t you hit my boy’ and I was like ‘who is this?’” he said, via SI.

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The two big men also had an altercation on the court in 1999. After they came together under the basket, Barkley threw the basketball at O’Neal’s head, and the dominant center wouldn't let that slide.

They found themselves wrestling on the floor before getting ejected from the game, per Sportscasting.

O'Neal always jokingly brings up Barkley's lack of rings. The Phoenix Suns legend averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in his 16-year Hall of Fame career.

Shaq obviously won four NBA championships.

Barkley's career-defining moments

Sports Brief previously reported on Barkley's top moments in his career after he turned 60.

He came close to the NBA Finals in 1997 but was defeated by the Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz.

Barkley's 'not a role model' remark in a controversial Nike TV advert also sparked a big debate.