"Why you dressed like a p*rn director?" - Kevin Hart mocks Shaquille O'Neal's outfit

Kevin Hart was announced as the first-ever on-court emcee for the revamped 2025 All-Star Game and it didn’t take long before he got caught in controversy. Just before the tip-off of Shaq’s OGs vs. Candace’s Rising Stars matchup, the comedian made a questionable comment when roasting Shaquille O’Neal’s outfit.

It seemed Hart momentarily forgot the NBA’s family-friendly nature, slipping in an NSFW remark while mocking Shaq.

“Shaq, first things first - why are you dressed like a p*rn director?” Hart said.

Shaq may not be widely recognized as a fashion icon, but he made a bold statement with his outfit. He wore a purple blazer paired with a lighter-shaded turtleneck. To complete the look, he topped it off with a matching purple hat.

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Fans react to Kevin Hart using NSFW comments on air

According to the consensus, introducing Kevin Hart as the on-court emcee was a failed experiment. Fans widely disapproved of the decision, and Hart remained a hot topic after treating the stage as if it were one of his comedy sets.

The comment immediately sparked reactions across social media. Many fans speculated that this misstep could cost him a future invite, with some predicting Adam Silver might never bring him back to the event.

“They never inviting Kev back,” one fan said.

“Kevin Hart asked Shaq why he’s dressed like a p*rn director on NBA tv say goodbye to that contract buddy,” another fan said.

Others, however, simply criticized the joke itself, calling it “corny” and “cringe,” arguing that it just wasn’t funny.

“Like ts is just not funny bro he was the only one that laughed cringy asf,” a fan said.

“kinda corny, Hart ran out of jokes,” one fan said.

“I'm sorry, these game-disrupting stunts emceed off the top of his head by Kevin Hart are just ... painful. Just endless. Just lame and awkward,” Skip Bayless also expressed his disappointment.

“So cringe,” another fan said.

Despite the controversial remark, Ernie Johnson Jr. still expressed his gratitude to Hart near the end of the night. Just before Adam Silver presented Shaq’s OGs with their award, Hart was jokingly handed a small trophy.