Charles Barkley has big fun with Jussie Smollett story on NBA show — and leaves Shaq in stitches

Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley has never been one to keep his opinions to himself.

And things were no different on Thursday's edition of TNT's "Inside the NBA" when Sir Charles, a show co-host, let loose with a string of hilarious takes in the wake of Chicago police arresting "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on a felony charge that he filed a false police report and accusing him of staging what Smollett claimed was a racist, homophobic attack against him last month.

"Jussie, you wasted all that damn time and money," Barkley said, presumably in reference to police saying the actor paid two men $3,500 to help him stage the attack Jan. 29. "You know what you should've did? Just went up in Liam Neeson's neighborhood. Would've solved all your damn problems."

The latter quote presumably was a reference to the action movie icon's confession in a recent interview that about 40 years ago a female friend told him a black man raped her, so Neeson said he went out on the streets and looked to get accosted by black men so he could fight them as a form of revenge. Neeson said no fights ever happened, his inclinations were wrong, and that he's not a racist.

Speaking of that $3,500, Barkley also tore into Smollett's decision — according to police — that he wrote a check to brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo for that amount, which no doubt greatly simplified cops' tying Smollett to the alleged caper.

"America, let me just tell you something, do not commit crimes with checks," Barkley added, as his fellow co-hosts and even the crew, began to break up in laughter. "If you're gonna break the law, do not write a check... Get cash, man."

Co-host Shaquille O'Neal — also a former NBA legend — apparently could be heard almost coughing and gagging in laughter, Deadspin said.

Check out the clips: