As the Inside the NBA cast has aged into uncle status for the league’s players, Charles Barkley and Co. have occasionally clashed with today’s stars.
The negativity on TNT’s iconic studio show has, for some, gotten bad enough that it has been offered as one of the issues leading to the NBA’s perception problem in recent seasons. The thinking goes that when Inside bashes the league and its players in front of an audience of millions, it feeds into an idea that the NBA product is bad or not worth watching. And to be sure, Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal love to bash everything from the style of play to the mentality of top stars to load management and player availability.
After Colin Cowherd came out on the side of Inside earlier in his show on Tuesday, he asked Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch whether Barkley “bothered” players. Finch, who has coached in the NBA for nearly two decades, denied it.
“I don’t think so, no. I would say most people thoroughly enjoy that show for what it is,” Finch explained on The Herd. “It’s part of the fabric of the NBA. It’s irreverent, it’s entertaining. They should have a disclaimer, ‘for entertainment purposes only.’ It’s part of our league, it’s baked into our league, and we love that.”
Even when it comes to a player like Rudy Gobert, who Finch coaches and who has gotten into it directly with TNT Sports personalities including fill-in host Draymond Green, Finch believes it’s all in good fun. The coach even suggested it adds some competitive ammunition to the league.
“There are some things here and there I think it’s gotten a little personal, it’s had a little spice,” Finch said. “No one’s overly bothered by it.”
Now, Finch certainly doesn’t speak for everyone. Stars like Kevin Durant have clashed with Barkley over the years, while Dwight Howard had a long-running beef with O’Neal. And during this year’s All-Star game, cameras caught players rolling their eyes as the Inside crew took over with commentary during the game.
At the same time, most athletes have pretty thick skin by the time they get to the pros. Finch is seemingly giving voice to the fact that an NBA star is able to block out whatever comes from Inside, even if an entertainer like Charles Barkley does cross a line from time to time.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.