“If you see Charles Barkley, arrest him”: Newly minted FBI special agent Shaquille O’Neal targets Inside the NBA co-host to put behind bars in a humorous jab

Shaquille O'Neal picked up an honorary FBI special agent title, and the four-time NBA champion wasted no time putting it to use. He graduated alongside 265 law enforcement officials at the FBI National Academy's Session 299 in Quantico, Virginia, then closed his speech with a warning aimed squarely at his longtime broadcast partner.FBI Director Kash Patel handed O'Neal the recognition once the ten-week program wrapped. O'Neal turned the moment into a shot at Charles Barkley, the co-host he has jabbed at on Inside the NBA since 2011, telling the room what to do if they ever ran into him.Shaquille O'Neal targets Charles Barkley in his honorary FBI special agent speechShaquille O'Neal's parting line was simple. "If you see Charles Barkley, arrest him," he said, in video shared by Legion Hoops as he wrapped his remarks Thursday. The crowd of graduating officers, all veterans of their own departments, got the joke instantly given O'Neal and Barkley's decade-plus history of ribbing each other on air.Patel had announced the honor on X a day earlier, calling O'Neal "one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country" as he presented the plaque. The title carries no real authority. It does not make O'Neal a sworn agent or give him powers of arrest, and the National Academy itself runs separately from the FBI's actual new-agent training pipeline. It exists mainly for experienced law enforcement leaders, covering leadership, academics and physical fitness over ten weeks in Quantico.Shaquille O'Neal's law enforcement ties run back two decadesThis is not O'Neal dabbling. He was sworn in as a Miami Beach reserve police officer in 2005, not long after serving in the same capacity with the Los Angeles Port Police. That same year, during his reserve training, he tailed a car whose passengers had thrown a bottle at two pedestrians, then radioed dispatch so officers could track down the suspect. He later took on a reserve role in Doral, Florida, and was named Henry County Police Department's community relations chief last year.Orlando drafted him first overall in 1992, and he spent 19 seasons across six teams, winning three titles with the Lakers and one with the Heat, taking home MVP honors in 2000 and making 15 All-Star teams before his 2016 Hall of Fame induction. But the badge, honorary or not, fits a pattern he has kept up since long before Inside the NBA made him a household name twice over.As for Barkley, he has not responded publicly yet. Given their on-air history, a comeback is probably just a matter of time.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.