Charles Barkley has had enough of ESPN's talking heads discussing the Los Angeles Lakers. On the TNT pregame show that preceded an NBA double-header featuring the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers as well as the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, Barkley went off on a rant about how much airtime ESPN gives to the Lakers.
Barkley spent two straight minutes calling out ESPN as his co-hosts sat back and enjoyed the show, chiding Barkley on whenever he paused. Here's video:
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
Barkley first called out Kendrick Perkins by name saying, "I saw a fool idiot on TV talking about the Lakers saved the NBA. Yeah, he's an idiot and a fool."
"First of all the Lakers are having a great two weeks. He said the Lakers saved the NBA season. That's all them fools on the other network—which we going to be working for next year— that's all they talk about. Let me tell ya'll something. First of all, I want all the smoke. I don't whistle when I walk by the grave yard 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 for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder."
Barkley then continued to call out the "fools on the other network" for talking about the Lakers and Warriors all the time, while also noting that "we gonna become fools next year" when Inside the NBA is broadcast on ESPN.
"Between that and this lame-ass LeBron-Michael Jordan debate, which is lame. 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."
While Barkley didn't name any specific names here, Stephen A. Smith has been a big part of that discourse "on the other network" recently. Especially this week when he said he was retiring the debate on Wednesday and then immediately had the debate with a YouTuber on First Take a day later.
This should make for some interesting television next year!
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Charles Barkley Takes Shots at Kendrick Perkins and ESPN Over Lakers Coverage.