Even if you don’t like basketball, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” continues to be must viewing with the antics of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal alongside straight-man Ernie Johnson.
Depending on the matchup, most nights the pre-game and halftime shows are more entertaining than the game.
During Thursday’s telecast, Smith, who is surely the most eloquent speaker of the three former players, was struggling to get his words out. He then revealed that he had accidentally tried Paqui Carolina Reaper, advertised as the world’s hottest chip. We say accidentally because Smith had slipped a regular chip on top of the hot chip in the hope of duping his peers.
Smith’s trickery backfired — big time! Some of the hot powder rubbed off on Smith’s plain chip, igniting his taste buds and leaving him nearly speechless.
The bit then turned to Shaq, who ate the real deal — and paid for it. The extreme heat had the 7-foot giant sweating, teary-eyed and begging for milk. It also had his cohorts laughing uncontrollably.
When the smoke cleared, Shaq dared Barkley to try one and offered to give $50,000 to his favorite charity. The Chuckster declined. Great stuff.
