Shaq and Kenny Smith think an NCAA tournament-style NBA playoffs may be the best way to save the 2020 season

• Everybody across the basketball world is trying to come up with a way to salvage the 2020 NBA season.
• Shaq and Kenny Smith of "NBA on TNT" think an NCAA tournament-style NBA playoffs may be the best way to bring the year to a close and crown a champion.
• "Let's do it like the NCAA — elimination tournament — and just have the most unique ending to a season in the most unique year," Smith said. "It would just create such hype."
• "Kenny, I actually like that NCAA [idea]," Shaq said. "Everybody gets a chance. Imagine if a team like Sacramento or like the Knicks won."
• Charles Barkley disagreed, arguing that a "one-and-done scenario" would undermine the legitimacy of a championship.
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The NBA world is scrambling to find a way to bring the year to a close and crown a champion.

One idea — courtesy of the "NBA on TNT" crew — is to take a page out of the NCAA's book.

In an appearance on "The Steam Room" podcast, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith said that they think a March Madness-style NBA playoffs may be the best way to salvage the 2020 NBA season — which was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Let's do it like the NCAA — elimination tournament," Smith said. "Like one game, put everybody in it from one to the Knicks and go all the way up. One game and out — one elimination — and just have the most unique ending to a season in the most unique year."

Shaq agreed.

"Kenny, I actually like that NCAA [idea]," Shaq said. "Everybody gets a chance. That would actually be good."

The legendary NBA big man then mused about the prospect of a serious underdog — like NBA perennial bottom-dwellers like the New York Knicks or the Sacramento Kings — winning it all.

"Imagine if a team like Sacramento or like the Knicks won," Shaq said before bursting into laughter. "Everybody for years would be like 'You got a ring, but...'"

"It would just create such hype," Smith replied. "Everybody's in."

But at least one member of "NBA on TNT" cast of characters was not on board with the collegiate basketball-inspired plan.

Fellow NBA legend Charles Barkley was skeptical of Smith's idea because he thought it would undermine the value of the regular season.

"I don't like Kenny's idea of playing a one-and-done scenario because these guys have played basically 70 games," Barkley said. "You have Milwaukee, you have the Lakers, you have the Clippers who've had great seasons — they have the three best records in the NBA ... to have them lose to the Dallas Mavericks in a one-game scenario, I don't think that's fair."

"We have to at least make it somewhat legitimate," he added. "Or somebody might get a ring but it won't be legitimate if we do that one-and-done scenario. Nobody wants to see the Knicks and the Sacramento Kings win the championship — stop it you too!"

"I do!" Shaq quipped back.

Watch the full clip below:

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