December 04, 2016
Former Sixer and NBA legend Charles Barkley has never been the type to apply a filter to his analysis of current trends in sports, whether it's during a live TNT broadcast or during an interview in his spare time.
One of Barkley's recent comments has gotten a lot of critical attention, however, for what some believe is a blatantly sexist dismissal of women's baskteball.
During an "NBA on TNT" broadcast last week, Barkley again took aim at the playing style of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who have emerged as a historically dangerous perimeter shooting team. Barkley, believing the Warriors lack physicality, said he's "never gonna' like that little girly basketball" out of Golden State.
Charles Barkley explains why he doesn't like the way the Golden State Warriors play basketball pic.twitter.com/DaTud8Lwje
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) December 2, 2016
ESPN analyist Rachel Nichols, a former colleague of Barkley's at TNT, took exception to the way Barkley described the Warriors. And she let him know, sending a text message that urged him to consider using different language if he wants to criticize the Warriors.
Barkely reportedly defended himself by pointing out the importance of understanding the intent of his comments. He was just having fun, he told Nichols, and stood up for women's basketball after the rest of the panel suggested he's biased.
In the coming year, Barkely will premiere a new TNT series called "The Race Card," in which the outspoken hoops icon takes on hot-button issues in American identity politics.
As others have pointed out, Barkley is plenty capable of eating crow.
#Truth (cc @warriors) pic.twitter.com/h9RNMnvHad
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 28, 2015
