Charles Barkley finally found something he likes about TNT Sports losing NBA game rights after this season: no more All-Star Game.
Credit the NBA for recognizing it has an All-Star Game problem and attempting to retool it in recent years. Unfortunately, nothing has worked. This season’s mini-tournament, chock-full of built-in distractions that took away from the All-Stars, was worse than anyone could have envisioned. Fans, media and players agree, it was terrible. And according to Barkley, he can complain about the league’s All-Star debacle, but the players can’t.
“You do have an obligation to the game,” Barkley said on the latest episode of The Steam Room podcast with co-host Ernie Johnson. “People always talk about leave the place than you came in. I don’t know if you all understand that. Complaining about the All-Star format does nothing good for our product.
“The good thing about it – I’m not gonna lie – we don’t have to televise that thing anymore. I’m not even upset. Cause if you all don’t take it serious, why should the network and fans take it serious? So y’all complaining about the format, y’all are the reason the format was bad.”
Barkley told no lies there. He didn’t want to attend the All-Star Game this season so it’s no surprise to hear he doesn’t want to go next year when NBC carries it. And yes, the players complaining about the game is counterproductive, especially when the best way to fix it is by having them treat the event with a little more sincerity. The problem with Barkley’s rant, however, is that it’s hypocritical, because his complaints about the NBA similarly does nothing for their product.
Earlier this season, JJ Redick notably ripped NBA broadcasters for not glorifying the game enough as Barkley routinely uses his platform to bash current players and their modern brand of basketball. Even if some of those gripes are justified, too often, it seems like Barkley doesn’t like the NBA.
He gets paid $20 million per year to be an honest analyst, but also to be an ambassador of the sport, and in recent years, Barkley hasn’t always been that. If Barkley doesn’t want to buy into the league or an event, fine, but it makes it hard for him to complain when the players aren’t buying in either.