Charles Barkley playfully trolled Shaquille O’Neal on Inside the NBA after forgetting to mention him among the NBA’s best shot-blockers. Barkley was praising Jaren Jackson Jr. for winning the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year award and compared him to other defensive stars such as Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Mark Eaton. O’Neal interrupted Barkley and waved his hand until he got his attention. Barkley then jokingly called O’Neal “big and ugly.”
Charles Barkley: “You wasn't a shot blocker"
Shaq: “Bro i'm in the top 10”
Chuck: “You just big… and ugly"
Charles Barkley doesn’t see Shaq as a great shot blocker 🤣💀pic.twitter.com/sJrqPc7rT8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 17, 2023
Charles Barkley: “You wasn’t a shot blocker”
Shaq: “Bro i’m in the top 10”
Chuck: “You just big… and ugly”
Charles Barkley doesn’t see Shaq as a great shot blocker.
Although O’Neal should have been mentioned on Barkley’s list, as he is ninth on the all-time blocks list with 2732 rejections in his career, Barkley may have left him out to avoid giving him the opportunity to boast about it.
Barkley has had enough of O’Neal showing off his championship rings, and it’s understandable why he wouldn’t want to hear more bragging. Additionally, Barkley is so far down on the all-time blocks list that it’s unlikely that O’Neal will stop reminding him of it.
List of top 10 blockers in NBA history
The list of top 10 blockers are led by Hakeem Olajuwon, a towering center who recorded a remarkable 3,830 blocks over his 18 seasons in the league. In second place is Dikembe Mutombo, famous for his finger wag and intimidating defensive presence, who accumulated 3,289 blocks across 18 seasons as well.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 7-foot-2 center widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, is ranked third on the list with 3,189 blocks over his 20-year career. Other notable players on the list include Mark Eaton, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, Tree Rollins, and Robert Parish.
Shaquille O’Neal Top Seasons in Blocks: A Towering Presence in the Paint
Shaquille O’Neal, a Hall of Fame center, was a dominant presence in the paint throughout his career. Known for his imposing size and fearless play, he was a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the court. One of his most impressive defensive skills was his ability to block shots, and he had over 2,700 blocked shots throughout his career.
The 2000-01 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where Shaq blocked 204 shots and was named to the NBA All-Defensive second team. He had five or more blocks in 14 regular-season games, including a season-high of 7 blocks against the Philadelphia 76ers. Shaq helped lead the Lakers to the NBA championship that season, with a dominant performance in the playoffs where he registered 17 blocks and was named Finals MVP.
Shaq’s second season with the Orlando Magic in 1993-94, where he recorded a whopping 231 blocks and led his team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. He had one of his best individual performances on Nov 20th, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets, where he logged 24 points, 28 rebounds, and 15 blocks. Unfortunately, the Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Shaq’s 1999-00 season with the Lakers, where he had 239 blocks and won both the regular season and Finals MVP awards. He led the league in scoring with an average of 29.7 points and played a key role in the Lakers’ first NBA championship in the Kobe-Shaq era.
Finally, Shaq’s season with the Orlando Magic in 1992-93, where he logged an impressive 286 blocks, averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game, and won the Rookie of the Year title. Shaq’s that season marked the beginning of his era of dominance in the NBA. Although the Magic missed out on the playoffs that season, it was clear that Shaq was destined for greatness.
