The biggest rivalry in the NBA Finals is not the San Antonio Spurs versus the New York Knicks, or Victor Wembanyama versus Karl-Anthony Towns, or Stephon Castle versus Jalen Brunson.
It is the city of San Antonio versus Charles Barkley.
Barkley has ribbed the city of San Antonio for several years with hilarious remarks. Most infamously, he claimed that local women are overweight because their churros are “the bomb.”
On Wednesday, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined “Inside the NBA” for Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. She gifted Barkley a box of churros, as shown in the video shared by Awful Announcing.
San Antonio mayor Gina Ortiz Jones gifts Charles Barkley churros. #NBA #NBAFinals https://t.co/itosZzbLr9 pic.twitter.com/9qFRjBbKzL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 4, 2026
Even though he is on a diet, the Hall of Famer quickly ate the sweet treat.
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Ortiz Jones also could not help but roast Barkley with a clever line.
“I learned a long time ago that you can't teach courage and you can't teach class, and Mr. Barkley reminds us of that,” said Ortiz Jones, eliciting a laugh from the former MVP.
Barkley replied with a serious compliment.
“I'm so glad to be back in your beautiful city. Everybody I talked to in my walk today, everybody was fantastic. They know I'm just joking around,” said the 11-time All-Star.
The 63-year-old Barkley has made positive remarks about the Spurs over the years, particularly about Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, and, more recently, Victor Wembanyama.
As of writing, the Spurs and the Knicks are tied heading into the fourth quarter. Wembanyama has 15 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
The biggest rivalry in the NBA Finals is not the San Antonio Spurs versus the New York Knicks, or Victor Wembanyama versus Karl-Anthony Towns, or Stephon Castle versus Jalen Brunson. It is the city of San Antonio versus Charles Barkley. Barkley has ribbed the city of San Antonio for several years with hilarious remarks.