When the legendary Shaq received an FBI honor from Kash Patel, he took a shot at his Inside the NBA co-host, Charles Barkley, who returned the favor.

On Inside the NBA, Barkley asked Kenny “The Jet” Smith, “Should we be standing this close to Shaq?” He elaborated, “He's been hanging out with Kash Patel. That's dangerous.”

Charles Barkley: "Should we be standing this close to Shaq?… He's been hanging out with Kash Patel. That's dangerous."

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Via @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/DoyyEYgiqA

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 22, 2026

This made everyone, including Shaq, crack up laughing. “Diesel” put his arm around Barkley as he laughed as the program went to commercial break.

It has only been a couple of days since the season started, but Inside the NBA is already delivering memorable moments. This is also Barkley's last hoorah before he retires from broadcasting.

Shaquille O'Neal was named an honorary FBI Special Agent during his graduation ceremony for Session 299 of the FBI National Academy on Thursday, Sep. 17.

After receiving the honorary title, Shaq joked, “If you see Charles Barkley, arrest him.” His joke received laughter from the crowd at the ceremony. To be clear, the title is ceremonial.

Barkley and Shaq have been together on Inside the NBA for years. However, their run will end after the 2026-27 season. In September 2026, he stated that he was going to go for as long as Ernie Johnson did. Now, they are both preparing to leave the show after this season.

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He spoke to WSFA12 News a few weeks after making his initial announcement. Barkley confirmed that he was “going to take a step back from public life” after this season. He has enjoyed his time in the spotlight, but he's ready to move on.

It's not all bad, though. Barkley said that this season would be “more like a celebration,” since he has “had the greatest life a person could have.”

We'll have to wait and see how Inside the NBA recovers after losing Barkley and Johnson after this year. In the meantime, enjoy all of the moments they give us with Shaq and Smith.