"Even if my momma said that, you make a move, Imma knock yo' a** out" - Shaq on how his fight with Charles Barkley ended

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley had one of the most epic in-game physical altercations in NBA history. Both future Hall of Famers were heavyweights, but somehow, their teammates and the officials managed to separate them.

Looking back on the incident, O'Neal said he was ready to make it ugly with Barkley at the time. However, his mom immediately called and told him to squash it with Chuck ASAP. As an obedient son, Shaq did exactly what his mom said, but admittedly, he was ready to give it to Charles in case "The Round Mound of Rebound" didn't cooperate.

"Momma dropped that final order. I'm not gonna go against my momma ever. So, I'm walking down the hall. He's walking down the hall. I'm looking at him like, 'Motherf**ker, even if my momma said that, you make a move, Imma knock yo' a** out. He started laughing, I started laughing," O'Neal once said in a podcast interview with Draymond Green.

Shaq never knew his mom and Chuck's mom have been best of friends

O'Neal grew up without his biological father in his life and was raised by her mother, Lucille, as a single parent. This lifts the lid on why "Diesel," despite being one of the most feared and dominant players of all time, is very respectful to his mom. On the other hand, Charles also loved his late mother, Charcey Glenn.

Baffled by how Lucille knew Charcey, Shaquille asked his mother about it after the incident. As it turns out, O'Neal's mom and Barkley's mom were best friends long before they even made it to the NBA.

"After that, I called my mom again and asked her how she knows his mom, and she said they've been best friends for 20 years. Charles Barkley's mom and my mom were friends for 20 years, and I never knew that," Shaq once recalled .

From foes to pals

Following their fight, O'Neal and Barkley were fined and suspended for one game. Surely, the pair learned a valuable lesson from it. More importantly, they realized that they were meant to have a connection because of their mothers' friendship.

True to form, Shaq and Chuck developed a great bond as well. Today, apart from being co-hosts of NBA on TNT, O'Neal and Barkley are also close pals outside their jobs.

Related: "I love messing with the little fella" - Charles Barkley explains why he keeps on provoking Shaquille O'Neal