THE SHAQTIN FOOLTIDE — Having the "Inside the NBA" team around all day long for Christmas might be the greatest benefit of the recent NBA broadcast drama, which ended with the former TNT Sports staple finding a home on ESPN.
Shaquille O'Neal opened the day playing Santa, which was only to say he handed out pairs of his shoe line to the dismay of his colleagues, or giving their shoes back in Charles Barkley's case.
He later broke through the fourth wall during the show's frequent bit of running to the large screen for halftime highlights.
Shaq just ran through a wall 😂 pic.twitter.com/EwIDMV0C1s
— ESPN (@espn) December 25, 2025
Shaq loves pointing out hoops gaffes during his frequent "Shaqtin' a Fool" segment, but nobody was fooled by this likely staged bit, which might be the best part of the hilarious TV moment.
"It's not like you didn't think that was going to happen. Look at the cushion behind the wall. ... Glad it was there, Shaq," Ernie Johnson says through the laughs.
A handful of people took to social media to liken it to the Kool-Aid Man's signature wall-breaking entrance.
It might not be as iconic as the time Shaq unintentionally tripped over a cord trying to race to the screen, which basically halted the show with nonstop laughter, but he's always a gift that keeps giving, nevertheless.
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