Shaquille O’Neal was roasted by Kevin Hart with a hilarious impression on ‘Saturday Night Live’

Saturday Night Live / YouTube

• 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 in order to match Shaq’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 to be appointment television. The conversations between Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal can quickly devolve into absurdity and fits of laughter, making for both great TV and fertile grounds for satire. 

Further proof of this fact came over the weekend when Kevin Hart roasted Shaq while hosting “Saturday Night Live” for the fourth time.

During a sketch parodying TNT’s “Inside the NBA” program, Hart played O’Neal while cast member Kenan Thompson took on the role of Charles Barkley.

The focus of Hart’s impression came from 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. Added humor came from the fact that Hart, a shorter gentleman, stood on stilts in order to match Shaq’s 7-foot-1 frame.

You can watch the sketch in its entirety below.

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A quick look at social media will show that Shaq and Hart appear to be on good terms with each other, so the impression is hopefully viewed as a friendly ribbing as opposed to any real shots fired.

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It’s not the first time the cast of “Saturday Night Live” has set its sights on the sporting world this season. Earlier in the year, impressions of both Conor McGregor and LaVar Ball were featured on “Weekend Update.”

But even with those comical appearances, Hart’s impersonation of Shaq stands well above the rest.

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