When Charles Barkley took a shot at millennial NBA players calling them ‘spoiled, rotten’: “They take rest periods now”

While load management has become the solution to injuries in recent years, Charles Barkley and his generation of NBA players aren't fans. As players return from injuries or look to prevent further injuries, more and more have continued to sit out in the second leg of back-to-back games.

That hasn't sat well with many former players and analysts. Fans who have bought tickets to see their favorite players compete on the court have been left frustrated. As a result, load management has become more than just a locker room decision. The league has made it clear that the situation impacts their business as well, specifically the collective bargaining agreement.

As a result of key players sitting out nationally televised games, the league was forced to implement new rules preventing load management without a good reason. The rule went into effect during the 2020-21 season and was specifically targeted at making sure players didn't sit out nationally televised games for no reason.

Around that time, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spoke on the difference in playstyles between his era and the current era of players. Unsurprisingly, he went to bat for all of his fellow NBA alumni, while ripping current players for being spoiled rotten.

“It was definitely a tougher game, it was more physical, these guys are very talented but they made it easier on them. They take rest periods now, guys miss games because they just wanna rest. They fly private jets when I played we flew commercial. God bless these younger players but they’re spoiled rotten.”

You can see his comments in the video above with his comments beginning shortly before the 5-minute mark.

Charles Barkley thinks players nowadays don't have thick skin

Charles Barkley, of course, has been pretty open about his frustration with the current generation of NBA stars. While many feel as though the level of competition nowadays is much higher than it was in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, Barkley has a different view.

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2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

While the debate rages on about whether it was tougher to play in his day, or the present day, Charles Barkley believes the key difference is that today's players need thicker skin. Last year, amid talk that veteran players like himself are too tough on the current generation, Barkley shot back in an interview on The Ryen Rusillo Podcast, saying:

“The only disconnect is these guys are wussies. We've all gotten criticized, I've gotten criticized, Dr. J got criticized, Magic Johnson got criticized. Every great player gets criticized, we're just not sensitive as these dudes today. It always annoys me and makes me laugh, these guys act like they're the first group of players who ever got criticized.” - The Ryen Rusillo Podcast

While those comments likely won't sit too well with the current generation, he made sure to point out that he got his fair share of criticism from veterans when he played. He recalled that when he was a rookie, it was Moses Malone who gave him a reality check.

After Charles Barkley questioned why he wasn't playing the late game, Malone responded by saying "You're fat, and you're lazy."

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