Shaquille O’Neal Roasts Charles Barkley for All-Star Snub of Suns’ Devin Booker
The NBA announced this year’s All-Star starters on Thursday night, but it will be another week before the league announces the reserves for the game. In the meantime, the NBA on TNT crew offered their picks, and Charles Barkley had a notable snub.
The Hall of Famer left Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker off of his list of reserves, choose Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox instead. While Barkley, who played four seasons with the Suns, tried to argue on the broadcast that he loves Booker and is still a huge fan, broadcast partner and fellow Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t having it.
“Obviously you don’t,” O’Neal said. “Obviously you don’t love him.”
While the crew agreed on five of the seven Western Conference reserves, they couldn’t find common ground in choosing between Booker, Fox and Kings forward Domantas Sabonis. Barkley was the only member of the NBA on TNT crew to leave Booker off his list, while Kenny Smith left out Sabonis and both Shaq and Ernie Johnson dropped Fox.
Booker is averaging 27.2 points, 7.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, and he seems like a logical choice to be named to his fourth All-Star roster this season.
