TNT’s NBA crew comprising Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson have never shied away from giving their takes on a wide range of topics. And per usual, two of the best players to ever play in the NBA had some choice words for Nets star Kyrie Irving following his comments after his team’s 115–114 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the playoffs.
Irving could be seen flipping the bird several times to Boston fans and during halftime he was caught on video telling a fan to “suck my d---, b----.” After the game, he said he matched the crowd’s energy and had no regrets about his decision, adding, “I’mma look at them straight in the eyes and see if they’re really ‘bout it. Most of the time they’re not.”
O’Neal and Barkley disapproved of Irving’s behavior and his comments. They both said they had gone through similar situations and fans just have to be ignored. O’Neal also stressed their predecessors had gone through far worse.
