Inside the NBA isn’t so much a basketball show as it is an entertainment program that has an element of basketball in it. The formula has worked out well — Inside is the most highly-regarded sports studio show of all time — but for folks who want substantive, detail-oriented basketball discussions, it’s not really the place.
This isn’t a knock on Inside, mind you, it’s just there’s an expectation vs. reality element of the show. This was put on display on Tuesday night when one of its stalwarts, Shaquille O’Neal, appeared on TNT’s Tuesday night studio show and went viral for a conversation with Candace Parker in which Parker more or less explained how modern pick-and-roll defense works.
Candace Parker making Shaq look real dumb while talking about modern pick-n-roll basketball pic.twitter.com/TQYwVVrVmx
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) March 3, 2021
Part 2 of Candace Parker putting Shaq in a bodybag. This time with math. https://t.co/2EZ3gvqjNg pic.twitter.com/emmI4GFP9I
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) March 3, 2021
The clip is very much an old school vs. new school sort of thing, where Parker is able to give context that Shaq is just unable to fully grasp because she plays basketball right now while his playing days were before the pace-and-space era really exploded. To that end, there is something pretty interesting about this whole conversation in a vacuum.
The big issue, though, is that analysis by retired players can oftentimes come off as aloof, dismissive, or a combination of the two, which is compounded by the fact that Inside isn’t always viewed as a show that has the most poignant conversations about the game of basketball itself.
As a result, this exchange got basketball Twitter talking, both because of what Shaq said and in praise of Parker’s analysis.
Shaq’s view of basketball is understandably skewed by a lifetime of being Shaq
— Patrick Claybon (@PatrickClaybon) March 3, 2021
“Why can’t everyone defend everyone on the court and also be unguardable and immovable while being faster than everyone else?”
— Patrick Claybon (@PatrickClaybon) March 3, 2021
Shaq is a one-man argument that it's possible to be too good at a sport to analyze it well. His only comment about any basketball situation has always been "these players should simply be as good as me, Shaq"
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker was looking at Shaq the same way Tim Legler was looking at Skip Bayless explaining help and recover defense.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 3, 2021
*panel discusses modern pick and rolls
Candace Parker to Shaq: pic.twitter.com/8euVLbGwo9
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) March 3, 2021
The only thing Shaq had to say in this clip was “but did we win a championship” in reference to his inability to understand the new realities of basketball. This, whew,,,, this one STARKLY laid out how far off the pace he is and how ON TOP OF HER SHIT Candace Parker is https://t.co/FjNWbsvt7E
— Aaron West (@oeste) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker is fantastic at her job(s). https://t.co/s7LuIbJKPN
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker is just absolutely tremendous. She’s so good on TV. https://t.co/udoHaVNDSE
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 3, 2021
I don’t have anything else to say. https://t.co/a5yQWq2tQb
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker basketball mind is top tier
— Jas (@JasTayler) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker is flexing … and it’s great
— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) March 3, 2021
Candace Parker kills it as an analyst, she clearly actually watches the league and understands the modern game
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) March 3, 2021
There has always been tension that stems from older generations believing younger generations are not doing things correctly, whether that be in basketball or in literally anything else. Fortunately for those who tuned into this clip, the younger generation was represented by someone who was able to clearly lay out why the older generation was wrong about the topic at hand.
