Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Madison Williams

Stephen A. Smith, Charles Barkley Went Head-to-Head on ESPN-TNT Crossover Broadcast, and Fans Loved It

Charles Barkley Stephen A: ESPN TNT NBA Stephen A Smith

ESPN and TNT teamed up for the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament on Thursday, and the bold personalities on both networks took over the broadcast early on.

TNT’s Charles Barkley specifically called out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith while the two networks were on separate stages in Las Vegas. Barkley’s rant, seemingly yelled in a joking manner, caused the audience to cheer and laugh at the two analysts.

“If you come over here with all that loud a-- talking,” Barkley yelled in the microphone. “Hey, this ain’t First Take, this is gonna be the first a-- whooping you take.”

Smith bursted into laughter hearing the NBA legend call him out.

NBA fans absolutely loved the crossover between ESPN and TNT. Many fans wondered why it took so long to see a mix of these personalities on the national stage. Some even called for the crossover to occur again for the NBA Finals in June.

Take a look at some of the social media reactions to this on-stage interaction.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Britney Spears & Marilyn Monroe: The Secret Family Link Between the Two Troubled Stars
Discover the surprising link between stars Britney Spears and Marilyn Monroe, both icons of entertainment whose genealogical connection adds a new layer to their stories.
Latin Times
Latin Times
What time are the NFL Christmas games and when does Beyoncé perform?
What time does it start? Why Netflix? And when does Beyoncé start? We (mostly) have the answers
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
How an unlikely Bavarian village became the Christmas capital of Washington state
Freshly baked pretzels, shining tree lights and sleds in the snow lend a ruddy warmth to an unlikely collection of Bavarian-themed chalets in the mountains of Washington state
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Middle children are more cooperative than their siblings, study suggests
After decades of debate, one of the largest ever studies on birth order suggests it does actually make a difference
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Work or play? The rise of online ‘kidfluencers’ is raising complex legal and ethical questions
Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing – making stars out of children as young as two.
The Conversation
The Conversation
She's here for 'a kitchen pep talk' during the holiday whirlwind
If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to cook during the holidays, maybe a new book by Margaret Eby can help
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play