There might be some awkwardness next year when the Inside the NBA crew goes over to ESPN. On Thursday’s episode, prior to TNT’s coverage of the game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, Charles Barkley ripped ESPN, specifically naming Kendrick Perkins, for their coverage of the Lakers.
Barkley started his rant by saying, “I saw a fool, idiot on TV saying the Lakers saved the NBA. He’s an idiot and a fool but he knows who he is.” Barkley then asked Shaquille O’Neal — celebrating his 53rd birthday — to identify who he was talking about. When O’Neal failed to do say, Barkley said, “Kendrick Perkins” before going deep into criticisms of both Perkins and ESPN.
“He said, the Lakers — first of all, the Lakers have had a great two weeks,” Barkley said. “He said the Lakers saved the NBA season. That’s because them fools on the other network, which we’re going to be working for next year, that’s all they talk about. Let me tell y’all something. And first of all, I want all the smoke. I don’t whistle when I walk by the graveyard or anything like that.”
Barkley then continued. He conceded that both the Lakers and Golden State Warriors had been playing much better in recent weeks. Still, he took issue with ESPN giving those teams favorable coverage over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder (coincidentally two of Perkins’ former teams), who have been the NBA’s best teams throughout the season.
“Hey man, the Lakers are doing great,” Barkley said. “Got a long way to go. But the reason the season’s been going great — the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder — y’all just want to talk about the Warriors and the Lakers. They’re both doing great. Don’t get me wrong. If I turn out to be wrong, I got no problem with that. But y’all are idiots ’cause y’all talk about the Lakers and the Warriors all the time. The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 12 straight games. Oklahoma City got the MVP and they are on fire. Y’all are talking about who’s in second place. That’s the reason I get pissed. Hey, the Lakers are doing great. I don’t mind being wrong. The Warriors are doing great.
“But that’s ’cause you fools on the other network, which we’re gonna become fools next year when we be working on that network, but Oklahoma City and the Cavs been balling for six months. Y’all talking about teams that had two great weeks.”
Charles Barkley GOES OFF about Lakers/Warriors coverage (and LeBron James/Michael Jordan debates) from “the fools on the other network (ESPN), which we’re going to be working for next year.” 🏀📺🎙️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥☠️ pic.twitter.com/0RyvL0H4ix
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
Ernie Johnson asked Barkley, “Is there some credit to be handed out?”
“Yes,” Barkley confirmed. He then continued to criticize what he sees as ESPN’s continued overcoverage of the Lakers and Warriors, as well as other issues that he has with the network’s NBA coverage.
“But don’t say basketball’s only watching now — first of all, between that and this lame-ass Lebron-Michael Jordan debate, which is lame,” he said. “I’ve said for years, the only people who talk about LeBron and Michael is people on television who got no talent to talk about anything else. I’ve been saying that for years. I ain’t hanging on to the 90s. I’ve always said, LeBron’s great, Michael’s great. But y’all talk about it all the time and then got LeBron out there posing, talking about he all mad about being the face of the league. But it makes me mad.
“The Oklahoma City and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the two best stories in the NBA this year. Congratulations to the Lakers and the Warriors. They’ve had two good weeks. The Cavs and OKC have had six great months.”
While Barkley was ranting, O’Neal was laughing. Johnson asked Shaq if that was one his favorite rants.
“Yes, it is,” O’Neal said. “I need it on my birthday.”