Charles Barkley laid into his future co-workers Thursday when he went off on ESPN analysts for the way they’ve been covering the NBA this season.
Barkley first singled out Kendrick Perkins, who said during the Los Angeles Lakers’ win streak that the team was “saving” the NBA. His argument was that before the Lakers rose in the standings, the potential playoff matchups weren’t as intriguing.
On Inside the NBA, Barkley explained why he took such issue with those comments.
“I saw a fool idiot on TV talking about, ‘The Lakers saved the NBA,'” Barkley said. “He’s an idiot and a fool, but he knows who he is. What’s his name, [Shaquille O’Neal]?”
O’Neal asked Barkley which person he was referring to, prompting Barkley to do away with ambiguity and name-drop Perkins.
“He said the Lakers saved the NBA season,” Barkley continued. “That’s because them fools on the other network — which we’re gonna be working for next year — that’s all they talk about.”
Although Warner Brothers Discovery — the parent company of TNT — failed to secure one of the NBA’s packages during media rights negotiations, the Emmy Award-winning sports talk show Inside the NBA will continue on ESPN staring with the 2025-26 season. Barkley and O’Neal, as well as Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson, will all be making the move to keep the show together.
“Let me tell y’all something,” Barkley said. “And, first of all, I want all the smoke. I don’t whistle when I walk by the graveyard or anything like that. Hey man, the Lakers are doing great. Got a long way to go. But the reason the season’s been going great [is because of] the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder]. Y’all just wanna 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 because 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 taking about who’s in second place. That’s the reason I get pissed,” he continued.
That rant elicited responses from both Perkins and Stephen A. Smith.
Hey @NBAonTNT might wanna tell that senior citizen Charles Barkley that I’ll be around. When he see an idiot or fool in person make sure he keep that same energy. He can come playing with me if he want to and imma Address his ass like the numbers on a house. Straight from the 409…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) March 7, 2025
Yo Chuck, stop the b.s. with the “y’all.” Attach a name to it. I know I’ve been talking about @cavs being the No.1 threat to the @Celtics. Once you come over here, there’s gonna be some folks waiting to call YOU a fool. P.S. You know I love ya, though. See y’all soon. Yo… https://t.co/8PbBWVRlim
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 7, 2025
Watch above via TNT