The NBA on TNT show had a rather different lineup this week. While fans were expecting the Tuesday night crew of Candance Parker, Jamal Crawford and Shaquille O’Neal, one of those names was amiss, leaving some fans puzzled. With Charles Barkley moving on to his CNN project, the show is already missing one Hall of Famer. However, for one night only, that number increased to two.

In the place of the Los Angeles Lakers legend, the man in the booth was Vince Carter. “It is Jamal Crawford, it is Candance Parker, and we are joined by the man that can fly, Vince Carter. He is here because our big fella Shaquille O’Neal is in Orlando, he is having his jersey retired.” 

With a promise for an interview coming up soon, another big bomb would drop after this announcement, leaving the rest of the crew wary. “He’s also doing color commentary tonight.” With Shaq’s infamous propensity for ‘colorful’ language, the common response from the others was just “Uh-oh.”

Never one to tone down his language, the 4x NBA Champion in the booth for 3 uninterrupted hours could be a hilarious night. However, it could just as quickly turn disastrous for the same reasons. But, what it does promise is that the match will be a must-see. As a result, it is the first match in 12 years for the Orlando Magic to be on TNT.

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Further, it also led to Shaquille O’Neal coming out of his chair. While this isn’t the first time Shaq has skipped a night in Studio J, it does remain a rather rare event.

When has Shaquille O’Neal previously missed the NBA on TNT broadcast?

The one undeniable component of the greatness of the big fella is his work ethic and commitment. Whether it was on the court or off it, the 7-footer had built up a truly stellar resume. But the one constant in both sectors is his unwavering commitment.

During his decade-plus run with the NBA on TNT crew, the man has missed out on very few broadcasts. Usually, the reasoning is family-related. Just a few weeks ago, O’Neal had to miss the event due to a fundraiser coinciding with graduation night for his daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal.

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A few months prior, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal all played hooky when their co-host Ernie Johnson received his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The ‘Inside Guys’ all took the night to fly down to New York and surprise the TNT legend.

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But, as you can probably tell, very few times has the 2000 NBA MVP taken a day off for reasons relating to his own.