Home

NBA

“Thanks for Taking the Blame“: Kenny Smith’s ‘Messages’ for Michael Jordan and Several Others Draw Hysterical Reactions from Shaquille O’Neal and Co.

Published 05/03/2023, 11:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

The analysts of Inside the NBA have been working together for over a decade now. With Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal being the latest addition to the ‘family’, the co-hosts have pretty much become comfortable to the point of pulling occasional pranks on each other. The latest victim of the Inside Guys‘ hilarious antics turned out to be former NBA star, Kenny Smith. Interestingly, it did not just involve Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan but a zebra as well!

Kenny Smith was the second analyst among the four to join TNT. A year after retiring from the league, the 2x NBA champion began working as a studio analyst for Turner Sports.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Kenny Smith has a ‘message’ for Michael Jordan

In the latest episode of Inside the NBA, co-host Ernie Johnson showed the cover of Kenny Smith’s upcoming book. It is called “Talk of Champions” and will be released on May 9. The former Houston Rockets star stated that the book contained stories about significant people in his life who taught him ‘great things’. Smith provided a little more context on the purpose behind coming up with the book. Not long after, his fellow co-hosts apparently thought it was time to get a little laugh out of their viewers.

via Imago

Johnson then asked one of the crew members to show a ‘signed copy’ of Smith’s book, meant for His Airness. On the first page of the book was written, “Mike, please display this book in a prominent place in your office. You are the man! – Kenny”.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Smith’s reaction to his supposed ‘message’ revealed that it was all just a harmless prank. Either that or Smith’s Zebra friend somehow learned how to read because the second signed copy was addressed to an animal. It read, “Zebra, thanks for taking the blame for me being late (at least for one night!) – Kenny”

Unfortunately for Smith, his fellow analyst did not stop with just MJ and the adorable four-legged animal.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Bryan Cranston Getting Trolled on Shaquille O’Neal and Co’s ‘Fishing Trip’ Leaves the TNT Hosts in Shambles

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

I got your water!

Continuing their hilarious segment, Johnson moves on to the next message which was apparently meant for NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon. The note read, “Dream, thanks for having a strong and wide shoulders! – Kenny”. Recalling months-old sarcastic reply given by Charles Barkley to Smith, the note concluded with, “PS – I got your water”. Smith’s last signed copy was hilariously addressed to a French Bulldog calling the loveable pup an ‘inspiration’ and a ‘style guru’.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: Shaquille O’Neal’s bizarre pre-game ritual from his magic days

These occasional pranks and playful banters are one of the reasons the post-game show has a huge number of viewers, who never get tired of watching their entertaining content.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Siyari Debbarma

894Articles

One take at a time

Siyari Debbarma is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With over 700 articles under her belt, Siyari is an expert in providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the game. Her throwback article on Dennis Rodman's plea for help garnered more than 3.
Show More>

Edited by:

Satagni Sikder