TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ delivers tribute to Shaquille O’Neal’s late sister

The sister of basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal died of cancer at age 40. O’Neal’s TNT colleagues paid tribute to their family. | BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

Shaquille O’Neal’s sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, died of cancer Thursday. She was 40 years old.

Harrison-Jex was diagnosed three years ago. O’Neal didn’t know his biological father growing up and was raised by his stepfather, Philip A. Harrison, who was Ayesha’s father. O’Neal was not on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” on Thursday night and his colleagues passed along their condolences.

Host Ernie Johnson said of O’Neal, “When he struggles, we struggle with him because he’s one of our brothers. ... He said his world revolves around his brother and two sisters, and he lost one of his sisters this morning, far too early.”

Charles Barkley sent kind words to O’Neal’s mother, Lucille O’Neal, explaining she was there for his family when his mother died.

"Big Fella, you hang in there."

Ernie, Kenny, Charles & Commissioner Silver's thoughts are with the O’Neal family pic.twitter.com/5yUtdhjWkZ

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 24, 2019

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was on the show and also sent his condolences to the O’Neal family.

“It’s times like this when we’re all together,” Silver said on the broadcast.

O’Neal was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He won four NBA titles and three Finals MVPs in his career.

Read more at usatoday.com