If you love watching Shaquille O’Neal fall (Kevin Hart fans), you owe Kenny Smith a big thanks. The 2x NBA champ, as we all know, has made it a tradition for Shaq to be launched into a Christmas tree. What started more than a decade ago, with the first instance being the tree falling on ‘Big Diesel’ himself, is now a prank that fans every holiday season hope Kenny pulls on O’Neal. And the big fella did not fail the fans this year either.
During the recent segment of NBA on TNT, the stage was all set with Christmas trees and gifts on the set. All that was left was for Smith to get moving with his master plan.
And it all started with ‘The Jet’ stating he has gifts for his co-hosts on the show. As he picked two boxes from the bunch, Kenny told the big man, “Shaq, I can’t get yours. It’s too heavy. Hurry up…”
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And just like that, the plan was set into motion.
Just when the former Lakers star approached the gift box, Kenny pushed him into the Christmas tree. “Every year we get him, baby…” Kenny hilariously exclaimed.
What makes it even more hilarious? Fifth time that Shaquille O’Neal had such an episode with the Christmas tree on the sets of TNT!
One of the first instances of this hilarious tradition was around 2012 when Shaquille O’Neal was baited to attempt a basket from a spot that happened to be right below the tree. And before ‘Big Diesel’ could even realize it, he was lying under the tree that had been pushed onto him.
This became such a popular tradition that Shaq once did something unexpected.
The time when Shaquille O’Neal willingly launched himself into a Christmas tree
The holiday season of 2022 gave basketball fans one of the most hilarious moments in sports television history. During a Lakers-Cavaliers game analysis on Inside the NBA, the competitive spirit between O’Neal and Smith reached its peak.
Picture this: ‘The Jet’ and Shaq racing toward the big screen for the game analysis. Naturally, Smith, the quicker of the two, got the upper hand and, for good measure, shoved the 7-foot-1, 325-pound 52-year-old into a giant Christmas tree. But Shaq wasn’t about to let the moment end there.
After crawling out of the tree (with some help), he looked at Kenny and declared, “This means war!” O’Neal wasn’t done yet.
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When Ernie Johnson jokingly bet he wouldn’t dive into the tree headfirst, ‘Shaq Fu’ accepted the challenge without hesitation. With his signature enthusiasm, he launched himself into the tree once again, leaving it in tatters.
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The kind of ridiculous, larger-than-life humor only Shaquille O’Neal can pull off. Only Shaq could make crashing into Christmas trees an annual highlight—and leave us wanting more. He truly is the ‘King’ of holiday hijinks!