While Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant and prolific players in NBA history, he has never been considered one of those athletes who could’ve excelled while playing another sport.
But on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” on Thursday, he showed off the ability to do well in at least one facet of another game.
The crew invited Anthony Lee, a tennis pro in the Atlanta area, onto the set, and O’Neal delivered a serve into a net that could’ve earned him some points on the tennis court.
It could’ve been described as a perfect serve, especially for someone such as O’Neal who apparently isn’t a tennis aficionado.
Shaq dished out a PERFECT serve with tennis pro Ant Lee in Studio J 🎾👏 pic.twitter.com/ULCenU4J1A
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2025
During his 19-season NBA career, O’Neal averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds a game, and he led the league in scoring average twice. He won four world championships, including three in a row from 2000 to 2002, and he was named the MVP of the NBA Finals three times in a row.
After retiring as a player in 2011, he joined the “Inside the NBA” cast and added even more levity and spontaneity to what was already a wacky and very popular show.
While Turner Sports won’t be televising NBA games after this season, O’Neal and colleagues Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson will still be giving their takes on what’s happening across the league. “Inside the NBA” will live on thanks to a unique arrangement with ESPN, and the show will continue to air during the network coverage of games beginning this fall.
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