"What happened to being 'fired'?" - NBA fans abuzz over Shaquille O'Neal's reported $15 million deal with TNT despite wild NSFW moment

While Inside the NBA may no longer be airing on TNT starting next season, Shaquille O'Neal has reportedly inked a long-term deal with the network that will pay him $15 million per year.

On the heels of the Hall of Famer joking on Thursday's 'Inside the NBA' broadcast that the crew was getting fired, the four-time champ and TNT reportedly finalized a long-term deal. This news came from Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy.

Although there's been no word on how many years the contract is for, the deal will keep O'Neal as part of the 'Inside the NBA' crew once the show transitions to ESPN next season.

Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson were already on board, with Barkley recently telling Johnson that he was declining NBC's offer, and wouldn't be meeting with Amazon. Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny 'The Jet' Smith were both nearing the ends of their respective contracts.

After O'Neal's new multi-year deal that will pay him a reported $15 million per year, all eyes are on 'The Jet' as fans await news on a new contract with TNT. In response to the news, and Shaq's NSFW "F**k it" moment on TNT, fans were quick to weigh in:

"What happened to being 'fired'?!?" - One wrote.

"Didn’t he just say he was getting fired lmao?" - Another wrote.

Others kept the Shaquille O'Neal jokes coming:

"Bro getting more from his TV deal than what he was getting playing for Boston Celtics" - One wrote.

"Good he’s the funniest one and says the least on the show. That entire crew should get an award for making the NBA more watchable." - Another added.

"Was this before or after he cussed last night." - Another joked.

With the 'Inside the NBA' crew being loaned out to ESPN in exchange for Big 12 NCAA games, NBC and Amazon will continue to look elsewhere for on-air talent ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

NBC reportedly signs Carmelo Anthony as Shaquille O'Neal commits to TNT long-term

Since the NBA finalized its next media rights deal, with ESPN, NBC and Amazon all getting into the mix, there has been tons of talk regarding how NBC and Amazon will fill out their broadcasting lineup.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced that Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin will join Amazon as studio analysts, with Taylor Rooks serving as the Ernie Johnson of Prime's studio crew.

Now, amid the news of Shaquille O'Neal signing with TNT long-term, NBC has reportedly signed Carmelo Anthony to join its studio broadcasting group for the 2025-26 season.

On Thursday, The Athletic reported that Anthony is the first former player to sign with the network. While no terms were disclosed, the signing is a big one for NBC as they look to assemble a crew to rival TNT's (soon to be ESPN's) 'Inside the NBA' crew, and the team being put together by Amazon.

Players like Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade and Jamal Crawford, who have all appeared on NBA on TNT in the past have been among the most widely-discussed candidates. However, so far, nothing has been finalized.