Charles Barkley fires back at criticism of his “uncomfortable” comments about Isaiah Thomas’ grief

Charles Barkley came out firing on all cylinders before Tuesday’s NBA Playoff action. Right before Game 2 of the Chicago-Boston series, Barkley addressed criticism of his Sunday comments that he was uncomfortable seeing the C’s Isaiah Thomas crying in the wake of his sister, Chyna dying in a car crash.

And as TNT aired the footage on Sunday of Thomas being comforted by teammate Avery Bradley, Barkley said, “That makes me uncomfortable because that tells me he’s not in shape to play. I don’t know how this night is going to turn out. But to be sitting on the sideline a few minutes before the game, crying, that makes me uncomfortable for him.”

Well, on Tuesday, Barkley addressed his comments and came out swinging at those who were critical of him:

“…to insinuate what I was trying to — what I was saying, I’m uncomfortable talking about his pain and then going into basketball. For all you nitwit, scumbags, idiots, punks, to try to make that a story because y’all don’t have ratings and use my name to draw ratings, don’t do that. If you don’t have any talent, it’s the simple fact that you don’t have any talent. Let me be me.”

No one is not allowing Barkley to be Barkley, but comments like the ones on Sunday can come off as callous and cold. And while Barkley said he talked with Thomas and the Celtics star didn’t take any offense, the Sunday diatribe did seem tone-deaf.

However, Barkley is Barkley and he’s not going to change or apologize. The original sentiments were a story because they didn’t make logic at the time and his comments Tuesday are a story again as they in essence double down on Sunday’s comments.

[USA Today/The Score]