If you are a fan of NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, you might have seen their hilarious video that is going viral on social media. The two former players, who are now analysts for TNT’s Inside the NBA, decided to celebrate their vacation from broadcasting by singing a song and making a joke after Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals.
In the viral video from NBA TV coverage, Shaq starts singing a song that sounds like either ‘Traveling Man’ by Mos Def or ‘Jet Plane’ by John Denver, depending on who you ask. The lyrics are about leaving behind their troubles, and enjoying the freedom from work that is a vacation. Of course they added some vacation music in the background.
Barkley joins in the chorus, and the two harmonize with each other. They seem to be having a lot of fun, laughing and smiling. The song ends with Shaq and Barkley reciting the three R’s: “read, writing, and arithmetic”. They then explain that this is a “dumb jock joke”. As you can tell the words ‘writing’ and ‘arithmetic’ don’t start with an R, but they have the R sound.
The joke is that a jock wouldn’t know that, so they would think a word like ‘writing’ starts with the letter R. We probably didn’t need to explain that on second thought.
The video has been viewed millions of times on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and has received many comments from fans and celebrities. Some praised Shaq and Barkley for their humor and chemistry, while others teased them for their singing and joking abilities. Some also wondered what song they were actually singing, and whether they knew the correct lyrics.
Shaq and Barkley are known for their entertaining personalities and their friendly rivalry on Inside the NBA. They often make jokes at each other’s expense, but also show respect and admiration for each other. They have been working together on the show since 2011, and have won several awards for their broadcasting.
The video of Shaq and Barkley singing and joking is a testament to their friendship and their love for the game. It also shows that they are not afraid to laugh at themselves and have fun. They are truly two of the most entertaining figures in sports media. Next time someone asks you what the the three R’s are, make sure you tell them “reading, writing, and arithmetic”.
