Charles Barkley and 4x NBA champion make feelings known on face of the league debate

On Thursday, Charles Barkley gave another one of his signature candid takes during TNT's coverage of the NBA. In his response to a discussion by analysts on another network, he got his longstanding frenemy to agree with him.

At one point in the broadcast, Barkley brought up some sports personalities "on another network" talking about the topic of the so-called "face of the NBA." The 1993 NBA MVP went on to give his take on the subject matter:

"I was so annoyed just sitting around watching," said Barkley of the analysts discussing the topic. "You don't give anybody the face of the league."

At this point, Barkley pointed to his fellow panelist Shaquille O'Neal, who pointed back at him to signify wholehearted agreement — a sight not too often seen, as the two elite big men are better known for butting heads on "Inside the NBA."

Though Barkley didn't name the sports personalities he was referring to, he is likely talking about the analysts on ESPN's "First Take." This past Monday, the trio of Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe, and Udonis Haslem talked about Anthony Edwards saying that he didn't want to be the face of the NBA. They also discussed how it was improbable for non-American players to claim that title.

Barkley, however, argued that the opinions of observers regarding the face of the NBA ultimately do not matter, as it is the players themselves who can lay claim to that distinction through their performance on the court.

"When Magic Johnson and Larry Bird came in, they're like, we're the new sheriffs in town," said Barkley. "Shaq took it, Kobe took it, LeBron took it, Steph took it."

O'Neal added that, even as pundits proclaim a certain player to be the face of the league at any given time, other top competitors set their sights on proving themselves. In other words, the Chuckster and the Diesel agree that it is the players, not anyone else, who determine the face of the NBA.

Charles Barkley makes pronouncement on offers from major media outlets

Hard-hitting takes like these make Barkley a hot commodity on sports television. It's no secret that he has long been wooed by other big-time media and content platforms, but earlier this month, he decided to respond to them once and for all.

On an episode of "The Steam Room" podcast that he co-hosts with Ernie Johnson, Barkley delivered his statement:

"I'm informing NBC that I will not accept their offer. I'm gonna cancel future meetings with Amazon. My heart is always and will be at Turner Sports."

Fans of "Inside the NBA" can expect to hear more of Barkley's unfiltered takes for the foreseeable future.