Shaq appeared to leave his mic on in bathroom

America may not have heard it, but it sure seems like Shaquille O’Neal left his mic on while in the bathroom, tantalizing Ernie Johnson with the sounds of a stream.

As Inside the NBA began its postgame show with O’Neal, Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley Thursday night, Shaq poured himself a cup of water which appeared to trigger a recent memory.

“This sound familiar, Ernie?” pic.twitter.com/pqv35WZYan

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 9, 2024

“This sound familiar, Ernie?” Shaq asked while emptying a bottle of water into a mug. “The sound of water pouring in a cup?”

“It does sound a little familiar from earlier in the night,” Johnson acknowledged which prompted Shaq to quickly stop the NBA on TNT host from saying anything more.

“No!” Shaq quickly responded to Johnson. “Snitches get snitches. Don’t do it, Ernie.”

“What do you think I’m gonna say? ‘No, I don’t know what you’re talking about Shaq?’” Johnson joked. “But maybe take your mic off next time.”

Shaq may have intended to be coy about the incident, hoping to keep whatever he was referencing as a sort of behind-the-scenes joke with his co-hosts. But he did a bad job. Everyone now knows he forgot to turn his mic off before going to the bathroom. At least it was just a tinkle.

“It could’ve been worse, Ernie,” Barkley said with a laugh. “It could’ve been worse.”

Much worse, indeed. Shaq could have left his mic on in the bathroom that day he tortured his co-hosts with what was described as a rancid “bad lasagna” fart. Always the adult in the room, Johnson quickly shut down any further commentary on the topic Thursday night. But the damage was done. It’s clear that Shaq pulled a Vivek Ramaswamy and took a leak while he was mic’d up.

[Inside the NBA]