Charles Barkley wants all the smoke less than a year before Inside the NBA moves to ESPN. Barkley called out some of the "lame" analysts on the network who, according to him, only talk about the LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate.
On a recent episode of Inside the NBA, "Sir Charles" went off on ESPN despite having a working relationship with them. He was sick and tired of some of the debates going on there. He has had it with people debating the greatness of both MJ and "The King."
"Between (talking about the Lakers and Warriors) and this lame a** LeBron-Michael Jordan debate, which is lame, I've said it for years. The only people who talk about LeBron and Michael are people on television who got no talent to talk about anything else. I've been saying it 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."
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One of those analysts at ESPN, Stephen A. Smith, possibly the face of the network, clapped back at Charles Barkley on X, formerly known as Twitter. Smith wants The Round Mound of Rebounds to start name-dropping people rather than calling everyone out.
"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 @TheJetOnTNT ….workbook those free throws😀. Love y’all," Smith tweeted.
Despite his response, Stephen A. Smith welcomes what the Inside the NBA crew brings to the table. Smith has previously worked with them over the past year and hilarity has always ensued.
The show is expected to come to ESPN after TNT's deal with the NBA wasn't renewed. TNT is still set to produce the show but will air on ESPN and ABC as part of a sub-licensing agreement.
Charles Barkley almost became an LA Laker during his NBA career
Things might have been different today if Charles Barkley suited up for the LA Lakers during his career. Barkley has been one of the Lakers' most vocal critics on television, but he almost donned the purple and gold jersey during his career.
Speaking on The Steam Room with Ernie Johnson last week, Barkley revealed that the Philadelphia 76ers initially traded him to the Lakers before the deal fell through.
"I got traded to the Lakers," Barkley said. "True story. I get a call one morning from my agent, 'Hey, the Sixers finally pulled the trigger.' I got traded to the Lakers and I'm like, 'Damn, thank you, it's about time, can't wait.'"
The Sixers would eventually trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns in 1992. Barkley won an MVP in his first season and took the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals, losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
