'Hypocrite' Charles Barkley gets grilled by fans for calling young NBA players "dummies"

Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA" has long been known for speaking his mind, often sparking controversy. He caused a frenzy on Thursday when a video on X (formerly Twitter) showed him criticizing the younger generation of NBA players.

“The ball moves faster than any human in the world," Barkley said. "But these guys are so dumb, man! They don't know how to play basketball. We raising a generation of dummies."

As the clip racked up views, his comment got a response from fans on X. One user boldly called the former MVP a hypocrite, as during his playing days, his penchant for holding onto the ball for so long made the NBA invent a rule to curtail his gameplay.

"The NBA literally had to implement the 5-second rule in the post because of Charles Barkley who held on to the ball more than anyone else to a degree where it was unbearable & unwatchable. We can only marvel at the sheer stupidity & hypocrisy that NBA networks sell as 'analysis,'" the fan wrote.

Another fan supported the previous fan's point, that the NBA instituted the 5-second rule because of Charles Barkley.

"Literally the guy saying 'move the ball' was known for holding on to the ball so long that they had to make a 5 second rule. This guy is the biggest hypocrite in the history of TV commentators, in any sport," a fan commented.

Others on Twitterverse shared the same sentiment.

"Says the guy that would hold the ball so long they added the 5 second rule because of him. The guy is going to get on t.v and call people dumb for the exact way he played. Can’t make this up," a fan tweeted.

"Coming from guys that played during a time where zone defense was illegal. You wanna see ball movement break a zone, watch college basketball where the scores are low," another fan added.

"Barkley saying this means he doesn’t watch games or he’s dumb. Probably a combination of the two. Modern teams pass way more than teams in the 90s," a fan wrote.

One fan brought up his contract renewal with TNT. It was previously reported that Charles Barkley wasn't sure if he would remain with the network after this season, only to sign a new deal.

"TNT never shoulda renewed their contract," another fan tweeted.

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Charles Barkley picks his best team in the NBA Western Conference

On Thursday's episode on TNT's "Inside the NBA," Charles Barkley picked the Oklahoma City Thunder as his best team in the West. This is coming after their defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Finals.

"It's going to be interesting when Chet Holmgren comes back because they're going to be able to beat you multiple ways.

"They can go big, they can go small. This team is the clear favorite to win the West easily right now. ... I told you my [Phoenix] Suns, they can't get healthy. The Wild Card is Memphis [Grizzlies]. The [LA] Lakers stink. The [Golden State] Warriors are mediocre. But this team is the best in the West by far."

The OKC Thunder are 22-5 this season and are sitting at the top of the conference's standings.