Shaq Inks Deal With Turner Sports

Retired NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has reportedly joined Turner Sports as an analyst for the TNT show 'Inside the NBA.'

He joins Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith as a permanent member of the program, and will also be part of the network's playoff and All-Star weekend coverage. In addition, as part of his multi-year deal, he'll appear on NBA TV and provide content for NBA.com as well.

Like other athletes-turned-analysts before him, O'Neal may find himself critiqued harshly by players, coaches and sports writers.

"Shaq is smart and funny, but I can't see him matching the absurd, scattered brilliance of [Charles] Barkley in that milieu," said Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum, who wrote 'Shaq Attaq!' with O'Neal in 1994. "Shaq is a performance artist, as evidenced by his living statue bit in Boston. That's when he's at his best. [...]  But I wish him well because the game can't have enough people who look at things from a sometimes skewed perspective."

[Sports Illustrated]