NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal threatens to punch Charles Barkley in the face

Careers die, but egos don't.

The fine threads worn by TNT's NBA commentator Kenny Smith is all that has stopped legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley getting physical during a live broadcast.

In a post-game review of the Cavaliers' big win over Boston in game four the Eastern Conference finals, Shaq and Barkley got feisty with each other over seemingly nothing.

There appears to be long-standing tension between the two former Dream Team teammates, with Shaq declaring on live TV he was sick of being interrupted by his fellow commentator.

The pair helped the United States win the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, but that was a long time ago judging by their exchange after Cleveland took a 3-1 lead in their series.

It was both cringe-worthy and entertaining at the same time.

With commentators forced to come up with alternative ways to entertain viewers throughout what has been an extremely predictable and one-sided playoffs series this season - thanks to the Cavs and Golden State Warriors - Shaq and Barkley almost certainly delivered the best yet.

Shaq, Barkley, Smith and fellow TNT commentator Ernie Johnson were sitting at the TNT desk inside the Quicken Loans Arena with plates of food in front of them, trying to wrap up the game, when it kicked off:

Shaquille O'Neal: You don't want to mess around, Chuck. You have no idea what we're talking about because you've only been to the Finals once.

Charles Barkley: I didn't ride on Dwyane Wade's and Kobe's coat-tails.
SO: Doesn't matter Chuck, I got the same thing you got and I patched you up 10 years ago.

CB: I'm just letting you know, if I had been riding on Kobe's coat-tails and Dwyane Wade's, and Alonzo Mourning's too, I forgot about him. And Rick Fox, Derek Fisher.

SO: Everybody knows you're a bum. People question why you're in the Hall of Fame anyway, bum.

Ernie Johnson: Why did that get so personal when we were talking about game five?

SO: Because Chuck's always interrupting me. Don't interrupt me Chuck or I'll punch you right in the face, I'm telling you.

CB: We're going to be moving some furniture. I'm going to throw one of these chicken wings at your fat ass. You're going to grab it like one of those birds do.

SO: (grabs chicken wing and winds arm back ready to hurl chicken projectile).

CB: Come on man, quit screwing around. You don't want to get it on this cheap suit Kenny's got on.

EJ: "I stabbed a guy with a trident."

SO: He only went to the Finals once, he has no idea what we're talking about. He don't know nothing about that Kenny.

An Instagram post on Shaq's page appeared to show the lead-up to the unpleasantness.
A video posted by Shaq shows the 45-year-old filming his fellow commentators eat during an ad break, where he remarks he is "watching the fat boy eat" when focusing the camera on Barkley.

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The NBA world must be looking forward to the Barkley-O'Neal re-match just as much as the fifth game of the series between Cleveland and the Celtics on Friday (NZT) in Boston.