• The Golden State Warriors took down the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night, taking the next step towards winning back-to-back titles.
• The game not only ended the Rockets season but also that of the "Inside the NBA" crew, who only work games presented by TNT.
• After the game, "Inside the NBA" released a supercut of their most hilarious and bizarre moments of the year to celebrate their upcoming vacation.
  
  

On Monday night the Golden State Warriors took down the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, punching their ticket to a fourth consecutive matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

The game ended not only the Rockets season, but also that of the "Inside the NBA" crew of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and host Ernie Johnson. The lively commentary crew only works TNT games, and with the Finals broadcast nationally on ABC, the end of the Western Conference Finals meant that the "Inside the NBA" team would be starting their vacation.

To celebrate the end of another entertaining season, "Inside the NBA" cut together a video of some of their best moments of the year. It covers everything from their analysis of the "Yanni vs. Laurel" debate that shook the internet to Charles Barkley's many, many feuds with players, television personalities, and Shaquille O'Neal.

Take a look below to enjoy the best moments that Ernie, Kenny, Charles, and Shaq gave basketball fans this season.

See you next season.

More NBA playoffs coverage:

• Ted Cruz is sitting courtside for Game 7 between the Rockets and Warriors and everyone is making the same joke
• LeBron James takes immaculate care of his body, and the NBA world is in awe of it
• LeBron James just pulled off what his former GM called 'unprecedented' and perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of his career
• LeBron once again showcased his photographic memory, recalling all 6 of his turnovers in exact detail
• Kevin Durant and Draymond Green wanted nothing to do with a postgame question about the Warriors-Thunder series 2 years ago

SEE ALSO: The biggest concern about the Rockets' radical strategy came back to haunt them at the worst possible time

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With career earnings that totaled $292 million and millions more from endorsement deals and movie roles, Shaquille O'Neal is undoubtedly one of the most successful sports and entertainment personalities of all time. He has, however, had a few stumbles along the way. In 1994, he starred in a video game called "Shaq Fu," which was released on Sega and Nintendo consoles. The magazine Nintendo Power voted "Shaq Fu" to be the third worst of all time. 

In 1996, Shaq got his first starring role in a movie as a rapping genie in Disney's family comedy "Kazaam." The movie underperformed at the box office, bringing in around $19 million. It didn't fare well with critics either. It has a rating of only 6% on the movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

We asked Shaq what he learned from these forays into the worlds of video games and entertainment and how it affected him moving forward. 

Shaq recently stopped by Business Insider to talk about his collaboration with home security technology company Ring to raise awareness about how homeowners can better protect their property this holiday season. Shaq recently kicked off a campaign with Ring's CEO Jamie Siminoff around protecting holiday package deliveries - specifically as National Package Protection Day approaches on Nov. 29. Following is a transcript of the video.

Shaquille O'Neal: If you watch "Kazaam" as an adult, you should be ashamed of yourself. That movie is for children, but because it was me — "The Shaqster" — you get all these Siskel and Ebert-type guys trying to critique the movie. 

[The 1996 movie grossed only $19 million. It has a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.]

You know, it was just me taking advantage of an opportunity, doing something for kids. I'm not trying to win Oscars and Emmys and Tonys. You know, think about it. A kid from the projects of Newark, New Jersey gets to do a major motion picture. I'm gonna take it every time, no matter what the script it. 

Graham Flanagan: Did you make a lot of money from "Kazaam?"

O'Neal: I sure did. 

Flanagan: What was your check for that?

O'Neal: You know I don't like talking about that, but it was — it was nice.

["Shaq Fu" was released in 1994 for Sega and Nintendo consoles. In 1997, Nintendo Power Magazine voted it the 3rd worst video game ever.]

That was on the end of analog and the birth of digital. Like, if I would have met those digital people I would've never approved "Shaq Fu," but again, a kid from the projects of Newark, New Jersey wants to do a video game. People know I like karate. And it was cool, and then, like 30 days later, all these digital games come out. I was just like, "Oh, no."

You learn from mistakes like that. I learned then to do your due diligence. You always have to see what's next, because there's always something next. 

[A "Shaq Fu" reboot is in the works.]

It's coming out. I just have to make sure it's perfect. I'm doing something I've never done before, and I'm micromanaging something. They send me updates like every two weeks, and I'm like, "Eh, I don't know yet."

So, you know, the script has to be good. The effects — like, everything has to be perfect. 

What people don't understand about me is, growing up with a drill sergeant father, I'm programmed not to have my feelings hurt. I listen to people and I respect them. If you don't like "Kazaam," okay, I understand. I'm not gonna be like, "Forget you!"

It's not my style. You don't like "Shaq Fu?" I understand, but I'm not gonna be wasting my time trying to prove to you that I am a good actor. So, I'm not looking to redeem myself. I'm just looking to put out a pretty good game, and hopefully, the people like it. And if they don't, then I'll just try and come back.

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Former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal recently announced that he plans to run for sheriff in Henry County, Georgia in 2020. We asked Shaq about what he hopes to achieve with his transition to law enforcement. 

Shaq recently stopped by Business Insider to talk about his collaboration with home security technology company Ring to raise awareness about how homeowners can better protect their property this holiday season. Shaq recently kicked off a campaign with Ring's CEO Jamie Siminoff around protecting holiday package deliveries - specifically as National Package Protection Day is observed on Nov. 29. Following is a transcript of the video.

Shaquille O'Neal: When I was in LA, I went through a full-fledged police academy, so I know the hard work and dedication that these guys put in to keep people safe. Me running for sheriff — I've felt, over the past couple of years, there's been a disconnect from the community and police.

So, the community that I'm in – I'm definitely gonna try to bring that back together.

[Shaq is a spokesman for the home security company Ring]

O'Neal: I've mentioned that I plan on running in 2020. I live in Henry County. There's a little town called McDonough outside of Atlanta. When I was coming up, the police were loved and respected, but you know, it's tough for both sides right now. 

I would try to bring back community policing. When I was coming up, there was a cop in my neighborhood. Everybody knew him. He was a fair guy. Like, he'd catch you stealing gum and he'd tap you. "Hey, man get outta here."

You know, we needed that. Then, you'd have Mrs. Jones be like, "Hey, Officer so-and-so. The kids are down there fighting." 

And then he'd go down there and break it up. So, I would definitely try to introduce that back. We are definitely more divided than ever. That's why, whenever I'm out there, I just try to ease people's tension. We need more togetherness. We need more joyfulness. That's why I always try to just make people laugh because there's a lot going on  — a lot of craziness going on and you would think, in 2017, we would be much more advanced, but it seems like we're going backwards. 

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It's no secret that pro athletes can make millions on the playing field or in the arena, but some sports stars keep hustling long after their playing days are over.

With a combination of money from their sports careers, the fame that comes with being an elite athlete, and the hard work and smarts that go into any successful business venture, athletes sometimes go on to make fortunes in industries outside of sports.

Here are a few former sports stars who have defied the trope of the bankrupt retired athlete.

SEE ALSO: The stock market may be rising, but a report from the Federal Reserve shows the grim state of American wealth

1. Tim Horton

You may only know Tim Horton's for its coffee and donuts, but Canadians are well aware their national fast-food chain is named for hockey star Tim Horton. Horton played in the National Hockey League for 24 years, the vast majority of which he spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His life came to a tragic end in 1974 when he was killed in a car accident. He was 44 at the time but still playing with the Buffalo Sabres.

Horton co-founded the coffee chain bearing his name in 1964, putting some of his own inventions on the menu, and the chain became a multimillion-dollar franchise in 1968. After Horton's untimely death, his business partner Ron Joyce bought out his shares from his family for $1 million. At the time the chain had 40 stores; today it has grown to more than 4,000 locations around the world, and it's one of three global chains, along with Burger King and Popeye's, that make up Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) a fast-food conglomerate that has a market cap of $30 billion today.

2. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson may be best-known for his on-court wizardry and no-look passes while he led the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, but the basketball legend has had an enviable second act in business. As the head of Magic Johnson Enterprises, Johnson oversees a company worth more than $1 billion. He started with a movie theater chain and then became a Starbucks franchisee with 125 stores before selling that business. Today, MJE has controlling stakes in Equitrust, a financial services company; ASPiRE, an African-American TV network; and SodexoMAGIC, a food services provider.

Johnson is also a co-owner of the LA Dodgers, LA Sparks, and LA Galaxy.

4. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson may have the most impressive record of success of any famous athlete. Johnson played football at the University of Miami, where his team won the 1991 national championship, and he briefly played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. After his football career ended, Johnson rose to fame in World Wrestling Entertainment under the name "The Rock," and he parlayed that into a Hollywood career with early roles in the Fast and the Furious franchise.

Today, Johnson is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and he owns Seven Bucks Productions with his business partner Dany Garcia.

Shaquille O'Neal has a career 52.7% free throw percentage. Some say Shaq could have vastly improved his percentage by shooting underhand or "granny style."

Rick Barry did it, and he wound up the 4th best free throw shooter in NBA history. Even legend Wilt Chamberlain did it for the 1961-62 season, and his percentage improved by 10%.

We asked Shaq why he refused to shoot underhand, and it turns out he isn't sold on the technique. Following is a transcript of the video.

Shaquille O'Neal: Because it’s boring.

Business Insider: But it’s been proven to be somewhat effective.

O'Neal: No, it’s not. It's not proven. Just 'cause a couple guys did it doesn't mean anybody can do it.

Rick Barry swore by it and is the fourth best free throw shooter in NBA history.

I told Rick Barry I’d rather shoot 0% than shoot underhand. I'm too cool for that.

The underhand free throw creates a softer shot and is easy to repeat. Overhand free throws spin twice on the way to the basket. Underhand shots tend to spin 3 to 4 times. The extra spin helps shots that hit the rim. Even basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain shot "granny style" during the 1961-62 season. His free throw percentage rose by 10.9%

I think it was the man upstairs’ way to just keep me humble. ‘Cause imagine me with the game that I had, shooting like Steph Curry from the free throw line. I’d probably be a difficult man to deal with because in my mind I would know that I’m the best player ever created.

Better than Mike, better than Wilt ... so it was just a way to keep me humble. But when it came time to really buckle down and concentrate and you got a whole crowd doubting you and the whole crowd supporting, I always knock ‘em down.

Shaq's low free throw percentage led to the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy, intentionally fouling players with low free-throw percentages.

BI: How’s your free throw these days?

O'Neal: I haven’t shot in about four years. I’m retired.

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• Kevin Hart broke out a hilarious impression of Shaquille O'Neal while hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.
• Hart had to wear stilts throughout the sketch to match O'Neal's enormous frame.
• The two appear to be friendly with each other, so the impression comes off as a gentle ribbing rather than a harsh critique on the NBA Hall of Famer.

TNT's "Inside the NBA" is one of the few pregame and postgame shows in sports that many consider appointment television. The conversations among Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal can quickly devolve into absurdity and fits of laughter, making both for great TV and for fertile grounds for satire.

Further proof of this came over the weekend when Kevin Hart roasted O'Neal while hosting "Saturday Night Live" for the third time.

During a sketch parodying "Inside the NBA," Hart played O'Neal, while Kenan Thompson took on the role of Barkley.

The focus of Hart's impression was on O'Neal's low, grumbling voice, as well as his tendency to ramble and sometimes lose his train of thought in the middle of a comment.

And Hart, a shorter man, stood on stilts to match Shaq's 7-foot-1 frame, adding humor.

Watch the full sketch:

O'Neal and Hart appear to be on good terms with each other, so the impression hopefully is viewed as a friendly ribbing as opposed to any real shots fired.

It's not the first time this season that the cast of "SNL" has set its sights on the sporting world — "Weekend Update" has featured impressions of Conor McGregor and LaVar Ball. But Hart's impersonation of O'Neal stands well above the rest.

SEE ALSO: LaVar Ball gets roasted with dead-on impression during 'Saturday Night Live'

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Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has been a self-professed "geek" since 1989. He tells us how he got into computers and tech and how he tried to get Steve Jobs to give him an early preview of the iPhone.

The following is a transcript of the video.

SHAQ: I’ve been a geek since 1989. I became a geek because a geek helped me pass government in high school.

If I didn’t pass this last final test, wouldn’t play for the state championship.

The teacher, because she saw I was trying hard, she gave me another chance and said, “You need to go study with this guy over here.”

And this guy was so smart, he kinda intimidated me. He was the only guy in class who knew how to work the computer.

So because he was on the computer and I knew I wasn’t that smart, I kind of stayed away from him and stayed away from the smart people.

But the way he broke it down — his thought process, how he analyzed certain situations, how he studied — I actually picked that up and it got me through college and my master’s and my doctorate and all that.

But because of me hanging out with this guy for a week, a couple of hours a week, and just learned how cool he was and then just being in front of innovation.

I remember when the great Steve Jobs was still alive and he announced the iPhone. I got his phone number.

I called him plenty of times and I’d be like, Can I just look at it?

Because you read about it, you see all these publications, you know it’s coming out on Friday but it’s Thursday. Can I just fly to your house at 12:00, which is officially Friday?

But he always told me no. But I just always like to be at the forefront of technology.

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• ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets had a confrontation in the locker room after their game on Monday night and that security came in to separate them.
• After the game, the "Inside the NBA" crew at TNT could not keep it together, with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal howling with laughter at the news.
• The teams meet two more times this season.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets reportedly got into a bit of a fracas on Monday night.

After the Clippers won what had been a chippy game, 113-102, four Rockets players — Chris Paul, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, and Gerald Green — "breached" the Los Angeles locker room to confront their opponents, ESPN reported.

As the two sides traded barbs, the Clippers dared the Rockets to step closer, but security arrived to break up the matter before anything got physical, the report said.

The "Inside the NBA" crew on TNT covered the fallout of the scrap, but they could barely make it through a segment as Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley laughed at the idea that the two sides would've come to blows.

Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson attempted to reel in the two, but Barkley and O'Neal were laughing too much to be reached.

"I played in the NBA for 16 years, and I've been on TV for 18 years," Barkley said through tears, "and this is the first time I've ever heard of a police presence" in a locker room.

"Hello, police?" O'Neal said jokingly, throwing his notes in the air. "Chris Paul tried to beat me up."

Watch a clip of the broadcast: 

Never change, Charles and Shaq.

SEE ALSO: The best videos of fans celebrating the Vikings' miraculous game-winning touchdown in the playoffs

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Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal tells us why he didn't sign a deal with Wheaties, even though they asked him twice, and how he chooses his endorsements.

The following is a transcript of the video.

SHAQ: People look at them as endorsements. I look at them as partnerships. I’m very picky. If I’m not in tuned to the product, if I don’t like the product, I won’t do it.

I always tell the story about after I won my first championship, Wheaties wanted me to be on the cover. Never ate Wheaties so I turned them down. Second championship, same thing. I said hey, Breakfast of Champions, I know who you are, but I never eat Wheaties, I can’t do it. Then I told my people, call Frosted Flakes or Fruit Loops, I’ll be on the cover of that.

I turned a lot of deals down because I’m an old school guy. I’m on the handshaking principles. So I don’t want to take your money if I’m not really in tune to what you’re selling. Think about it. Gold Bond, everybody needs lotion, right? All these hard-working American people your back gets sore, Icy Hot. Everyone needs home security, right? Everyone needs affordable car insurance. That’s why I go with The General.

So I don’t look at it as endorsements. I look at them as partnerships.

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• Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal discuss their time playing together and their once-notorious feud in "Players Only: Shaq & Kobe," a sit-down conversation for TNT.
• In one highlight, Bryant discusses preparing to fight O'Neal at the practice facility after fiery criticisms back and forth in the media, only to have the fight broken up before it occurred.
• Though some topics are left out, it's clear the two players have long gotten over their feud and revere their days playing together.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal have long been over their infamous beef, but in "Players Only: Shaq & Kobe," a new sit-down conversation for TNT, the two stars discuss how their quarrels broke up a great NBA dynasty.

Bryant and O'Neal won three championships together with the Los Angeles Lakers, pulling off the NBA's last "three-peat" and were a perennial contender in the early 2000s.

However, infighting and contract disputes broke up the team, as the two stars traded barbs both in and out of the media. The Lakers eventually traded O'Neal to the Miami Heat, making it clear they were hitching their wagon to Bryant as the franchise player, cementing a rivalry between the two players.

"Me and you weren't always smiling and hugging," O'Neal says.

Bryant and O'Neal fought over several subjects, even as they competed for championships — roles on the team, shots, contracts, playing shape, etc. O'Neal at one point tells Bryant he didn't train hard in the offseason because he knew Bryant could carry the team as he got back into shape when the season began. Bryant excelled as the No. 1 option for the team and didn't want to return to being the No. 2 option when O'Neal got healthy.

"When you got back into shape, it was hard then," Bryant says. "[Former Lakers head coach] Phil [Jackson] tried to dial that back ... Phil's like, 'Okay, we gotta rein you back in now.'

'Rein me back in? For what'?" Bryant says.

In 2003, Bryant gave a fiery interview to ESPN in which he called O'Neal "childlike" and jealous and criticized O'Neal's leadership. The interview came after O'Neal had criticized Bryant's play, role on the team, and contract status. In the special, Bryant says after the interview made national news, he showed up at the Lakers practice facility expecting to fight O'Neal. The two were stopped by then-Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw.

"This was me at my craziest," Bryant says. "This is what I'm thinking: 'I'm going to drive to practice, we're going to fight, it's going to be awesome. I may get beat to a pulp, but you know what, it's gonna be a good one.'"

He adds: "I knew what I said ... This is it, it's coming to a head, we're gonna go in here, we're gonna be grown men about it, we're gonna fight it out, and what comes out of it, comes out of it." The fight never occurred.

The Lakers traded O'Neal in 2004, shortly after he had demanded a new contract from the Lakers. O'Neal says he was upset by the decision, but understood the business of it. The two players' rivalry intensified after, highlighted by a Christmas Day game between the Lakers and Heat in which they didn't shake hands.

Over several years, the rivalry died down. O'Neal won a championship with the Heat — which Bryant says he wanted so he could use it as motivation — and Bryant later led the Lakers to two championships as the No. 1 option. In 2009, the two were co-MVPs of the All-Star Game and were friendly the entire game.

"They loved us so much," O'Neal says. "They wanted to keep our beef going."

The special also highlights the difference in personalities between the two players. Bryant, an obsessive hard-worker, discusses training 10 hours a day and several times says he used slights to his advantage. O'Neal discusses eating cheeseburgers in the offseason to enjoy the fruits of his labor the previous year. On the topic of O'Neal's notorious freestyle rap in which he told Bryant to "tell me how my a-- tastes," Bryant says he loved it because he used it as motivation; O'Neal says he was just trying to be funny at a comedy club.

The special leaves some topics out. Bryant's rape trial is never discussed, and Bryant doesn't address criticizing O'Neal for not reaching out to him during the trial. The motivations of some of their harshest comments are never really discussed, nor do they openly discuss how the feud ended one of the most dominant teams the NBA has seen.

The special airs at 7pm ET on Saturday on TNT.

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• Shareef O'Neal — a son of the NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal — announced on Tuesday that he would be playing for the UCLA Bruins at the start of next season.
• The top basketball recruit decommitted from the University of Arizona days earlier amid the school's bribery scandal.
• An ESPN report last week said Arizona head coach Sean Miller had been caught on a wiretap discussing a possible $100,000 payment in exchange for landing a star recruit who joined the team this season.

The FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball is already having big ramifications for the Arizona Wildcats.

On Friday, an ESPN report said head coach Sean Miller had been caught on an FBI wiretap discussing a possible $100,000 payment to secure the signing of Deandre Ayton, a star prospect who joined the team this season. On Saturday, news broke that Miller would not be coaching the Wildcats in their game against Oregon.

Amid the controversy, the standout high-school prospect Shareef O'Neal — a son of the NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal — announced he was decommitting from Arizona and looking to other schools to spend his first, and possibly only, season of college basketball.

O'Neal first committed to the Wildcats in April 2017. According to ESPN, because O'Neal didn't sign a letter of intent, instead sticking to nonbinding financial-aid papers with the school, he wouldn't need the school to release him before committing elsewhere.

On Tuesday, O'Neal took to social media yet again, this time to announce that he'd be taking his talents to UCLA in the fall.

"HEADING TO UCLA 💛💙" the caption said. "I know my mom is glad I’m staying home LOL."

While O'Neal was largely able to avoid the fracas of the ongoing investigation, chances are there are still more schools and coaches left to fall in the FBI investigation, and with them, more top recruits who may be scared off by the possibility of coach firings or NCAA sanctions. A report from earlier in February said the FBI had collected "4,000 intercepted calls and thousands of documents and bank records" for its investigation.

SEE ALSO: The top 30 prospects of the 2018 NBA draft

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• Shaquille O'Neal made over $280 million during his NBA career, but in an upcoming interview for "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," O'Neal reveals that he's made more per year since leaving the league.
• Through endorsement deals with brands including Gold Bond, The General, and Carnival cruises, O'Neal has turned his brand into a money-making machine.
• O'Neal also has used his time since leaving the league to offer advice to younger players receiving a windfall from their first big NBA contracts.

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Shaquille O'Neal may be one of the greatest big men to play in the NBA, but for all the success he had as a player, his career has become even more profitable since his retirement thanks to his turn in advertising.

In an interview with reporter Bernard Goldberg for "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on HBO, Shaq revealed through endorsement appearances with brands including Gold Bond, The General, and Carnival cruises; he's turned his post-playing career into a profitable enterprise of personal branding.

From HBO:

Goldberg: "What was your best year in terms of salary in the NBA?"
Shaq: "I wanna say $30 million, probably."
Goldberg: "$30 million–"
Shaq: "Yes."
Goldberg: "So, you're making more money selling stuff and endorsing stuff and investing in stuff– than you did in the NBA?"
Shaq: "Yes, I think so."
Goldberg: "America’s a great country, isn’t it?"
Shaq: "It is. It is."

You can watch a trailer for Shaq's appearance on "Real Sports" below.

Since he's left the NBA, Shaq has not only become the face of many brands but also taken to espousing financial advice to up-and-coming NBA players. Shaq also cites guidance from Magic Johnson as helping him turn to investing and becoming smarter with his money.

His full interview on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" will air on Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal openly discuss the feud that broke up one of the NBA's greatest dynasties in TNT sit-down special

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• Walmart's biggest sale in history was made by Shaquille O'Neal.
• O'Neal said in an interview with HBO that he once spent $70,000 at Walmart in a single visit.
  
• When the Miami Heat traded Shaq to the Phoenix Suns, his apartment wasn't furnished, so he went to Walmart to buy all of his essentials.
• O'Neal's credit card was declined during checkout, and he had to tell American Express that he was indeed trying to make the purchase.

Shaquille O'Neal claims to own the biggest purchase in Walmart history, and it's hard to doubt him.

In an interview on HBO's "Real Sports," O'Neal said after the Miami Heat traded him to the Phoenix Suns in 2008, he didn't have anything for his apartment, so he turned to Walmart to get some essentials.

Once there, O'Neal said he spent $70,000, buying up everything from furniture to clothes to amenities.

"I'm very impatient," O'Neal said. "So they already got the apartment set up, and I ain't got nothing. I ain't got no towels, I ain't got no pots and pans ... I'm Walmart's biggest customer ... Pans, socks, underwears, tank tops, TVs, printers, computers."

O'Neal said his credit card was declined at checkout. Moments later, American Express called him saying somebody tried to spend $70,000 at Walmart on his card. O'Neal had to confirm it was him.

"The security team from American Express calls me, 'Hey man, somebody stole your credit card. They're at Walmart,'" O'Neal said. "I said, 'No sir, that's me.' The guy goes, 'What the f--- are you buying?!'"

O'Neal recently revealed on HBO that he now makes more money off of endorsements than he did in his playing career. Perhaps he can add Walmart to a collection that already includes Krispy Kreme, Gold Bond, Icy Hot, Ring, and more.

Watch the clip below:

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The 2002 Lakers capped off one of the great runs in NBA history.

Those early aughts Lakers teams were built around one of the most dominant centers ever, the second-greatest shooting guard of all time, and led by the most decorated head coach in league history. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers won back-to-back-to-back NBA titles, and they remain the last team to pull off that vaunted feat.

We decided to take a look at what became of the key figures from that legendary team. 

The statistics below are courtesy of Basketball-Reference. 

Shaquille O'Neal was THE star of the Lakers dynasty, a former league MVP who won the Finals MVP award for each of the Lakers titles, in addition to being a larger-than-life personality off the court.

Shaq would later rather famously have a falling out with Kobe and the Lakers organization, resulting in his getting traded to the Miami Heat in 2004. He won another title with the Heat in 2006 and kept playing in the league for various teams until 2011. He is currently an in-studio analyst for TNT alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, and makes more money in endorsements and business deals than he ever did as a player.

Read more: Shaquille O'Neal makes more money now off of endorsements and advertising than he did during his Hall of Fame NBA career

Kobe Bryant was only 23-years-old at the time, but he was already an established All-NBA caliber player and one of the faces of the league by 2002. In fact, he became the youngest player in NBA history to win three titles.

Source: USA Today

• In a conversation with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant discussed how his Los Angeles Lakers teams would have stacked up against other dynasties, seemingly mentioning the Golden State Warriors.
• Bryant argued that Shaquille O'Neal would have slowed the game down and made the Warriors uncomfortable.
• He also noted the entire exercise is fruitless, because there's no real way to compare teams of different eras.

Kobe Bryant believes his Los Angeles Lakers teams with Shaquille O'Neal would have held their own against the small-ball teams of today's NBA.

In TNT's "Players Only: Shaq & Kobe" sit-down conversation special, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal re-hashed their days with the Lakers, including how they'd match up with other great teams in NBA history. Bryant seemed to mention the Golden State Warriors by mentioning "small ball."

Nearly every great player in NBA history has argued that their teams could beat the Warriors. Many of today's NBA analysts believe the Warriors, with their speed and shooting, could run bigger, slower teams off the court. If nothing else, their reliance on three-pointers would put math on their side.

But Bryant argued that the Lakers were uniquely constructed to take down the Warriors.

"I don't think you guys really understand how much we controlled paced and tempo," Bryant said of critics who argued the Lakers couldn't keep up today. "Because with [Shaq] down there, the game stops. You can't go anywhere. Because the defense has gotta come down and get you, which stops them from running out. There's nothing you can do. There's no long rebounds, none of that going on. The game is always chopped up because you're always drawing fouls all the time.

"And so, I would just love to see how they would deal with that."

There hasn't been a singular, foolproof method to beating today's Warriors, but they have at times struggled with physical teams that slow the game down and prevent transition opportunities. The Lakers, with O'Neal in the paint could have done that, perhaps forcing the Warriors to go big, and making the game ugly by drawing fouls.

Of course, even Bryant recognized that the entire exercise is silly. While talking about other great dynasties, he said there's no real way to figure out who would win.

"I would love to be able to take our '01 team, matched up with the '91 Bulls team ... the '89 Lakers, before Magic [Johnson] got hurt, and roll the ball out, and we can play and see what happens," Bryant said. "But unfortunately, we can't. So to be able to sit here and say we were the best, we're better is — what difference does that make?"

Bryant is right — those teams will never face off, so nobody will ever know. It makes for a fun debate, nonetheless.

Of course, Warriors coach Steve Kerr may have had the best answer to the entire subject last year.

"They would all kill us," Kerr said of former dynasties. "The game gets worse as time goes on. Players are less talented than they used to be. The guys in the '50s would've destroyed everybody."

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• The "Inside the NBA" crew on TNT is known for their loose banter and light-hearted analysis.
• On Thursday the show had another of its unique moments, with Shaquille O'Neal embracing some backward math in an attempt to help Kenny Smith save money on gas.
• Shaq's suggestion boiled down to putting $20 in the tank at a time, rather than waiting for it to be empty and paying to fill it all the way, leaving his cohosts in hilarious disbelief.

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The "Inside the NBA" crew on TNT is likely the most entertaining broadcast team in all of the sports.

Beyond their analysis and insight into the game, the crew of Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson are known for their loose, playful banter.

But on Thursday night, O'Neal offered basketball fans something further — tips on how to save on gas money. At least, he tried to.

Using some backward math, Shaq explained to co-host Kenny Smith how he could be more economical with his fuel. Smith shared his concern that he was spending $80 to fill up his tank. Shaq explained that rather than spending $80, he could just put $20 in his tank every time it got down to being half-empty.

When the rest of the "Inside the NBA" team expressed their confusion, Shaq stuck to his guns. Leaving Johnson in stitches and Smith in total disbelief.

You can watch the chaos and confusion unfold below.

While it might feel like the crew is ganging up on Shaq a bit, it's moments like this that make "Inside the NBA" unlike any other show in sports media.

SEE ALSO: Former Cavs player says LeBron James once organized an All-Star comedy show for the team just for fun

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• Shaq chased Charles Barkley around the "Inside the NBA" studio with a catfish.  
• Shaq also got Nashville Predators fans to pour beer in the catfish's mouth. 
• The stunt was inspired by a recent incident when a Tennessee Titans player chugged beer out of a catfish at a Nashville Predators game. 

"Inside the NBA" has become known for the absurd antics of its studio crew, in particular analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, and last night's show featured the perfect example of this. 

As part of the crew's "Gone Fishin'" segment to commemorate the Indiana Pacers getting knocked out of the playoffs, Shaq dived into "the water" and proceeded to emerge with a catfish, which he used to harass Barkley. 

"Chuck, I ain't never seen you move that fast since the 80s," Shaq said. 

Shaq then went to a group of Nashville Predators fans who were standing on the studio and had them pour beer into the catfish's mouth, and then tried to get the fans to drink the beer, with no success. 

The stunt  was inspired by a recent moment at a Nashville Predators Stanley Cup Playoffs game in which Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan chugged beer from a catfish, as part of what is one of the NHL's strangest traditions.

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• Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley once again got into a heated debate on "Inside the NBA."
• The argument on Tuesday night turned to their championship experiences, with Barkley telling O'Neal that Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant carried him.
  
• O'Neal responded: "I've got three Finals MVPs, Chuck! Google me, Chuck!"

TNT's "Inside the NBA" once again heated up on Tuesday night as Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley got into a fierce debate.

The argument began when Barkley said the Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey needed to repair his relationship with DeMar DeRozan after sitting the star guard late in a Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Before Barkley could finish his point, O'Neal interrupted: "No, he doesn't."

O'Neal argued that DeRozan was benched for a reason and countered Barkley's argument that a team can't win a championship unless the coach and star player get along.

"That's not true — me and Pat Riley never saw eye to eye, and what happened in Miami?" O'Neal said, referring to his 2006 championship with the Miami Heat; Riley was the team president.

The argument soon turned into a championship-experience debate, as it tends to do on "Inside the NBA." O'Neal has frequently reminded Barkley that he won four championships while Barkley did not win any.

"You got to stop babying these players," O'Neal said. "You got babied. That's why you ain't win."

Barkley responded: "I didn't have Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant carrying me up and down the court."

"I've got three Finals MVPs, Chuck!" O'Neal said. "Google me, Chuck! Google me!"

It's not the first time the two former stars have gotten heated over their careers and experiences. During the 2017 NBA playoffs, Barkley and O'Neal got into a memorable exchange in which they threatened to punch and throw chicken wings at each other.

In the end, it always gets resolved.

Watch the clip:

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Thanks to the NBA's skyrocketing TV contracts and smaller rosters, a basketball career can be quite lucrative compared to other major sports.

This is especially true for the athletes who played a large chunk of their careers between the late 1990s and the 2011 lockout. These years led to some large contracts for players we might not consider among the all-time greats.

But with the recent surge in the NBA's salary cap, today's stars are starting to catch up, and even surpass, those players in career earnings.

Here is a look at the 25 players who have made at least $160 million, according to data collected from Spotrac and Basketball-Reference:

25. Tony Parker ― $160.8 million

Seasons: 16

Highest single-season salary: $14.4 million

Championships: 4

All-Star Games: 6

NBA First-team All-NBA: 0

24. Amar'e Stoudemire ― $161.6 million

Seasons: 14

Highest single-season salary: $23.4 million

Championships: 0

All-Star Games: 6

NBA First-team All-NBA: 1

23. Tracy McGrady ― $163.0 million

Seasons: 15

Highest single-season salary: $23.2 million

Championships: 0

All-Star Games: 7

NBA First-team All-NBA: 2

• The Golden State Warriors took down the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night, taking the next step towards winning back-to-back titles.
• The game not only ended the Rockets season but also that of the "Inside the NBA" crew, who only work games presented by TNT.
• After the game, "Inside the NBA" released a supercut of their most hilarious and bizarre moments of the year to celebrate their upcoming vacation.
  
  

On Monday night the Golden State Warriors took down the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, punching their ticket to a fourth consecutive matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

The game ended not only the Rockets season, but also that of the "Inside the NBA" crew of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and host Ernie Johnson. The lively commentary crew only works TNT games, and with the Finals broadcast nationally on ABC, the end of the Western Conference Finals meant that the "Inside the NBA" team would be starting their vacation.

To celebrate the end of another entertaining season, "Inside the NBA" cut together a video of some of their best moments of the year. It covers everything from their analysis of the "Yanni vs. Laurel" debate that shook the internet to Charles Barkley's many, many feuds with players, television personalities, and Shaquille O'Neal.

Take a look below to enjoy the best moments that Ernie, Kenny, Charles, and Shaq gave basketball fans this season.

See you next season.

More NBA playoffs coverage:

• Ted Cruz is sitting courtside for Game 7 between the Rockets and Warriors and everyone is making the same joke
• LeBron James takes immaculate care of his body, and the NBA world is in awe of it
• LeBron James just pulled off what his former GM called 'unprecedented' and perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of his career
• LeBron once again showcased his photographic memory, recalling all 6 of his turnovers in exact detail
• Kevin Durant and Draymond Green wanted nothing to do with a postgame question about the Warriors-Thunder series 2 years ago

SEE ALSO: The biggest concern about the Rockets' radical strategy came back to haunt them at the worst possible time

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