Shaquille O’Neal was as fierce as ever when Inside the NBA returned on Saturday, Jan. 24, following a four-week hiatus after the NBA’s Christmas Day slate. He came out in open support for the Detroit Pistons after a heated discussion with co-hosts.
Shaquille O’Neal Calls Out Inside the NBA Co-Hosts Over Pistons Critique
During the discussion, the Lakers legend and four-time NBA champion called out his fellow analysts for what he viewed as a lack of respect toward one of the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams.
“Tatum is the number one option, but mister Brown is a player. Now he has a triple green light,” O’Neal said on air. “But I don’t believe y’all sitting up here disrespecting the Detroit Pistons.” His comments immediately drew pushback from the rest of the panel, with the crew insisting that acknowledging Detroit’s rise did not mean anointing them as a true contender just yet.
Charles Barkley was the most vocal in his disagreement, conceding that the Pistons have been impressive but stressing that regular-season success only goes so far.
“They are a really good team,” Barkley said, “But they have to prove it to me in the playoffs.” O’Neal quickly fired back, arguing that Detroit’s current body of work already speaks for itself. “They are proving it now, Chuck,” he replied.
The exchange came on the same night the Pistons backed up O’Neal’s point with a dominant 139–116 win over the Sacramento Kings. Cade Cunningham led the way with 29 points and 11 assists, adding three steals and a block while shooting 13-for-22 from the field. The performance reinforced Detroit’s status as one of the league’s most in-form teams.
Despite a brief setback — a 111–104 loss to the Houston Rockets that snapped a four-game winning streak, the Pistons have been rolling.
They have lost just two of their last 10 games and quickly regrouped after the Houston defeat with the convincing win over Sacramento. Their consistency has kept them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Detroit’s rise has been building over the past two seasons. After a disastrous 2023–24 campaign that ended with a 14–68 record and last place in the East, the Pistons rebounded to make the 2025 NBA Playoffs as a sixth seed, ending a postseason drought that dated back to 2019. That breakthrough has now evolved into something more substantial.
Under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons have established a clear identity centered on elite defense and a growing young core. Anchored by Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart, Detroit currently ranks second in the NBA in defensive rating at 109.3.
Offensively, the system revolves around Cunningham, whose development has been complemented by veteran additions such as Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert.
Cunningham’s emergence was further validated earlier this week when he was named a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, making him the first Pistons player to earn that distinction since Allen Iverson in 2009. The honor underscored how far both Cunningham and the franchise have come in a short span.
The moment was also notable given O’Neal’s past criticism of Detroit. As recently as March, he had labeled the Pistons “boring,” a stark contrast to his current stance as one of their most vocal defenders on national television. Now, O’Neal appears firmly convinced that Detroit deserves recognition as a legitimate Eastern Conference force.
The Pistons will have another opportunity to validate that belief when they return to the court against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
