Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal wanted to destroy each other before being forced to make peace by their moms

NBA legends-turned-TNT analysts Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley have developed great on-set chemistry over the years as co-hosts of “Inside the NBA.”

O’Neal and Barkley are known to regularly have fun on air by taking playful shots at each other. Sometimes their insults escalate, but they always find a way to smooth things over.

However, as close as they are now, Barkley and O’Neal were once heated rivals on the court. In fact, their rivalry got so tense that they once got involved in a fight that needed to be resolved with the help of their mothers.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley’s altercation came during a matchup between the former’s LA Lakers and latter’s Houston Rockets on Nov. 10, 1999.

The altercation began when O’Neal shoved Barkley after he drew a foul in the second quarter. "Chuck" then threw the ball at "Shaq’s" head before the two engaged in a brawl and were both ejected from the game.

During the 2021 docuseries “The Inside Story,” O’Neal spoke about how Barkley’s mother, Charcey Glenn, and his mother, Lucille O'Neal, forced them to make up.

“I don’t have an older brother, but if I did have an older brother, I would want him to be like Charles Barkley,” O’Neal said.

“I was always envious of Charles because he got all the calls. So, the day he hit me with the ball, I was like, ‘Good, I’m about to knock him out.’

“So, we get into our little scuffle. Soon as I get to the thing, Jerome hands me the phone. And I hear this lady’s voice I’ve never heard before, ‘You better not put your hands on my baby!’

“I’m like, ‘Who is this?’ It’s mama Barkley and I was like, ‘Hello?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, I’m on the phone with your mama.’ And his mom and my mom were on a three-way (call).

“She said, ‘Don’t you know we’ve been best friends for about 20 to 30 years? Now after the game, you go give him a hug. You don’t need to be fighting on TV like that.’ So that’s how me and him became cool.”

Shaquille O'Neal added that since that day whenever anyone asks him if he and Charles Barkley are fighting for real, he tells them no.

“So, when people ask us, ‘Are you and Charles really serious?’ I always tell them the answer is no,” he said.

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Ernie Johnson Jr. on Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley’s relationship

[L-to-R] "Inside the NBA" hosts Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson Jr. and Shaquille O'Neal

“Inside the NBA” co-host Ernie Johnson Jr. spoke last year about just how close Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are now.

During an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," Johnson said that O’Neal and Barkley are great friends. He added that although they sometimes butt heads, he never worries about things getting out of hand.

“Folks need to understand that these guys are so tight,” Johnson said.

“They actually are great friends. The guys love each other. Sure, it gets heated sometimes, and when you're trying to decide or defend your point, yeah, it gets a little heated. But I've never thought, ‘Uh-oh, this is out of control.’”

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