The Inside the NBA crew reported back to work at ESPN after a few weeks off for a Christmas Day marathon of games. And they got the day started with some typical hijinks thanks to Shaquille O’Neal.
The phrase “run through a wall” for someone is usually meant as a motivational tactic. But to get amped up for the five game Christmas Day slate that ran from noon all the way past midnight, Shaq seemed to take it quite literally.
During halftime of the first game between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaq raced Kenny Smith to the wall for his regular halftime segment. And while we have seen take physical comedy to the extreme, especially during the Christmas season. Just a few years ago we saw Smith send The Big Aristotle barreling into a Christmas tree. But this time, the Hall of Fame center took it to the next level by actually running through the big board.
Shaq just ran through a wall 😂 pic.twitter.com/EwIDMV0C1s
— ESPN (@espn) December 25, 2025
But lest you think that Shaquille O’Neal committed millions of dollars worth of damage and ruined the Turner studios in Atlanta by wrecking the technologically advanced big board, it looked like it was all for show.
As Ernie Johnson pointed out, there was a mattress behind the wall for Shaq to land comfortably on after the stunt. That’s probably for the best as they had to work four more games after the early noon contest. But between the hole in the wall and the lights flickering out in the studio, this was a quality production that started off the day of basketball action with quite the bang.