CLEVELAND — Editor's Note: The above video is from a previously published story
It was only fitting that Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame played host to the crew from TNT's Inside the NBA on Thursday. After all, the long-running studio show has enough Emmys to be in any hall of fame.
While setting the stage for the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend on the NBA on TNT's Tip-Off show, hosts Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal were joined by another star, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Garrett, who will be playing in Friday's Celebrity Game at the Wolstein Center, started his appearance by warming up the crowd with chants of "Here we go Brownies!" That prompted Shaq to give this dynamite drop-in: "When you said 'here we go Brownies' Chuck (Barkley) started going, 'where the brownies at?'"
The conversation with Garrett then turned to the Browns, the fans, and the recent Super Bowl. Garrett did say he had some rooting interests when watching the Bengals versus Rams, including former teammate Odell Beckham Jr.
Barkley asked Garrett what its like to play in front of the "Dawg Pound" at FirstEnergy Stadium. "I played in front of 110,000 in college," Garrett recalled. "But it's just as good with 55 or 60,000 Cleveland Browns fans. The world could be everyone else's, but the city is mine."
'Kenny the Jet' wanted to know what will it take for the Browns to finally break through and get to the Super Bowl. "I feel like there's lots of room for improvement on both sides," Garrett said. "It's about playing off each other, having that chemistry on offense and defense. Making it work together."
Garrett will have some financial incentive to do well in Friday's Celebrity Game thanks to the Inside the NBA crew. O'Neal bet the Browns' All-Pro $1,000 that he would not score 25 points in the Celebrity Game. The money will go to Garrett's charity Waterboys.
Barkley pledged to give Waterboys $1,000 for each point Garrett scores in the Celebrity Game, while Smith will add $1,000 for each rebound.
Garrett will play for Team Nique, coached by NBA legend Dominique Wilkins. His teammates will include Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and former Cavs star Daniel "Booby" Gibson. Team Walton, coached by Bill Walton, will feature Cleveland native and rapper Machine Gun Kelly, actress/comedian Tiffany Hadish, and former Cavalier forward Anderson Varejao.
You can watch Garrett's full appearance on NBA Tip-Off in the player below.
More NBA All-Star coverage:
- 'I'm back': Browns DE Myles Garrett teases appearance in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
- 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game rosters revealed: Myles Garrett, Machine Gun Kelly, Tiffany Hadish, Mayor Justin Bibb to play
- Cleveland in the spotlight: NBA All-Star Weekend brings basketball's best to our city
- First look: Inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse ahead of 2022 NBA All-Star Game
- NBA All-Star festivities begin in Cleveland
- NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland: Everything you need to know from special guests, moments, events and more