Ever heard of ‘F-U money’? Charles Barkley has it
I’m not breaking any news here, but I’ll go ahead and state the obvious anyway: Charles Barkley is very clearly the only person at ESPN with a backbone. Maybe Shaq, too. But definitely Chuck.
It was painfully obvious during Thursday night’s Inside the NBA, which ESPN acquired last year from TNT. Opening night on Wednesday was all ham and eggs. Couldn’t have gone any better for ESPN or the Inside the NBA crew of Chuck, Shaq, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith.
Thursday night, though? That was gonna tell the real story, especially after the day the NBA … and ESPN … had. Both peed all over themselves all day. It was embarrassing.
Obviously, it was a worse day for the NBA. The league is very clearly a joke, and now it’s starting to come out just how big of a joke it really is.
But the way ESPN covered the events as they unfolded was equally embarrassing. From not showing the Kash Patel presser LIVE as it happened when every other outlet on the planet was showing it, to Stephen A. Smith’s shockingly dumb take that DONALD TRUMP was at fault, it was a piss poor performance by the World Wide (Woke) Leader.
But last night during Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley once again proved why he’s worth all the money. He’s the only one in Bristol with balls, and he called out the NBA, and also made ESPN’s crack NBA guy, Shams Charania, look silly along the way.
Take a look:
Charles Barkley is already worth it
The guy on the left is an adult who lives in the real world. The one on the right spent 60 seconds shilling for the NBA and going off into places Chuck didn’t bring up at all. Just hemming and hawing for a minute straight while refusing to just answer the easiest question of the day.
Did the NBA drop the ball here?
OF COURSE the NBA dropped the ball here! Anyone who isn’t in bed with the NBA and #ProtectingTheBrand can see that. The NBA knew about this. They “investigated” it. They cleared Terry Rozier.
That’s dropping the ball 101.
The usual suspects at ESPN – Stephen A., Greeny, Perkins, etc .. – wouldn’t dare call out the NBA on Thursday. God forbid they anger their precious Adam Silver.
But not Chuck. Nope. He doesn’t give a shit. I talk about ‘F-U money’ a lot. Charles Barkley has it. He’s also got the star power, like Pat McAfee, to withstand any internal backlash.
So, of course, it was Charles Barkley who was the only one to call out the NBA. Juxtapose that with this absolute BS from Kenny Smith, and you’ll see what I mean:
What? Seriously? THAT’s Kenny Smith’s big takeaway here? Come on, dude. Get out of here with that nonsense.
Look at Chuck and Shaq’s face when he says that. They know he’s full of shit. Frankly, everyone at ESPN Thursday was …
Except Charles Barkley. And Shaq. But, mainly Charles.
And it should surprise absolutely no one.
