Kenny "The Jet" Smith was the center of attention during Sunday night's edition of "NBA on TNT" ... with Charles Barkley cracking jokes over his recent beach trip with a beautiful woman -- and the whole thing was hilarious!!
The crew was back on the desk after having several days off from playoff coverage ... and just a few minutes into their pregame show, Ernie Johnson asked if anyone had some photos to share from their mini vacations.
"I got one of Kenny," Barkley said ... hinting at the pics TMZ Sports posted of Kenny at the beach with model Aline Bernardes last week.
Kenny tried to downplay the jab ... claiming all he did was go to the Miami Grand Prix and hang out with Shaquille O'Neal.
Barkley wasn't about to let him off that easily ... saying, "TMZ ain't ever wrong!!"
Luckily for Kenny, Ernie switched topics ... but he wasn't off the hook just yet -- the show's producers shared a few memes that poked fun at the NBA champ a bit more.
You gotta hand it to Smith -- he was a good sport about it all ... and let his cohosts have their fun.
As we previously reported, Smith and Bernardes had some fun in the sun on Thursday ... although it's unclear if they're an item.
Do your thing, Kenny!!