Top 5 instances of Charles Barkley hilariously butchering NBA player names featuring "Jayson Taylor", "Karl Kuzma", and more

Charles Barkley has a habit of butchering player names without remorse. Even though his job as a TV analyst requires him to pronounce names correctly, Chuck has repeatedly wrongly pronounced names.

The Hall of Famer has always had difficulty with names and hilariously blames the individual for having a difficult name. Despite several corrections from "Inside the NBA" crew members, he still fumbles on occasion.

Here are five instances where Barkley butchered the names of NBA players.

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#5 Shai Alexander-Gilgeous - "Shai Alexander-Gilchrest"

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Perhaps the most recent Barkley name butchering is when he wrongly pronounced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's name. The Oklahoman City guard has been having an outstanding season and has sparked conversations.

Although the Thunder have a poor record (11-17, Gilgeous-Alexander has been having a ball. He averages 31.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.7 steals.

Chuck has had high praise for Gilgeous-Alexander and expects him to be a starter in the 2023 All-Star game. However, just as he was about to heap more praise on the guard, he referred to him as Shai Alexander-Gilchrest.

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#4 Jayson Tatum- "Jayson Taylor"

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum has led the Boston Celtics to an incredible start to the season. They have the best record in the league, losing only seven games in their first 29 games. In their last outing, Tatum registered 44 points and nine rebounds to defeat the LA Lakers in overtime.

Chuck was delivering a wonderful piece about Tatum, saying he is currently leading the MVP race. Unfortunately, he butchered the All-Star forward's name, calling him "Jayson Taylor."

Meanwhile, Tatum is averaging 30.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He has evolved into an all-around elite talent and makes his teammates better.

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#3 Kyle Kuzma - "Karl Kuzma"

Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards

Kyle Kuzma has been one of the bright spots for the Washington Wizards. His exploits caught the attention of Barkley, who struggled to say his name.

In an attempt to articulate his thoughts, Barkley hurriedly called Kuzma "Karl Kuzma." Kuz is averaging 21.4 points (career high), 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.

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#2 Kawhi Leonard - "Kwame Leonard"

Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers

Despite being a two-time NBA champion, Barkley was still not completely familiar with Kawhi Leonard’s name. Chuck called the LA Clippers forward "Kwame" during one of their sessions.

However, it is worth noting that he got it right after Kenny Smith promised to give him some money if he did. Leonard has been slow to get off the mark this campaign but is starting to get in his stride.

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#1 Giannis Antetokoumpo - "Giannis Antekopumpo"

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks

It is no secret that Barkley is horrible with names, and his crew members do not make things any easier. Ernie orchestrated the perfect setup on an episode of "Inside the NBA," essentially asking Chuck to pronounce Giannis Antetokoumpo's full name.

Shaquille O’Neal burst out heartily as it was expected that he would get it wrong. Chuck did not fail to deliver, as he struggled with pronouncing "Antetokoumpo" and ended up saying Antekopumpo.

Nonetheless, Chuck has been impressed with Antetokoumpo's work ethic. He commended the two-time MVP, saying he and Russell Westbrook are the most hardworking players in the league.

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