Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley

If you can be sure of one thing, it’s that TNT’s Inside the NBA crew will never let any of its members extracurricular activities go uncommented on when given the opportunity.

Last week, TMZ posted photos of TNT analyst Kenny Smith relaxing on Miami Beach with Aline Bernardes, a Brazillian model who had made waves with her Instagram photos. It’s not often that Smith’s personal life has become so public since his divorce in 2021, so it certainly got a lot of people talking about whether or not the two were a couple.

Smith wasn’t the only Inside the NBA analyst that Bernardes snapped photos with last week as she shared one of her and Shaquille O’Neal hanging out in Miami as well (via TMZ):

That brings us to Sunday when Smith and Shaq reunited with Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley for Inside the NBA. And anyone who has watched the show long enough knew it was only a matter of time before the matter was broached.

“Any photos you guys want to share from the weekend?” asked Johnson on the set-up.

“I got one of Kenny,” said Barkley as Shaq lost it.

“I was at the Formula 1,” Smith tried to deflect. “Shaq and I were hanging out a lot together.”

That caused Shaq, who knew the truth of the weekend’s festivities, to shake his head and laugh.

“You gonna show TMZ?” asked Barkley, breaking the seal.

“I’m gonna do you big a favor Kenny,” said Johnson, trying to save Smith from further embarrassment.

“TMZ ain’t never wrong,” added Barkley with the kill shot before Ernie took things to a new segment.

To be fair, there are worse things than getting called out by your friends on national television after it’s revealed that you are probably dating a model.

[Inside the NBA, AA on Twitter, TMZ]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.