Barkley ‘embarrassed’ by level of play in NBA
Charles Barkley makes his living as an NBA analyst. And his analysis of the current state of the league would make NBA commissioner David Stern cringe.
Appearing on an ESPN radio station in Chicago on Tuesday night, Barkley felt compelled to offer an apology for the product being put out by the NBA on a nightly basis.
“I cannot believe how bad the NBA is right now,” said Barkley, an analyst for TNT. “I’m a fan first and foremost; watching the NBA right now, I’m embarrassed about the product we’re putting out there right now.
“It’s no fun for me to watch these games. I feel bad for the fans.”
Barkley said the league has about 10 teams “worth watching” on a night-in, night-out basis, and bristled at the idea of teams using the lockout as a reason for the sub-par play.
“They have all these built-in excuses about it’s the lockout,” Barkley said. “Let me tell you something: If these teams played once a week, they would still suck. You watch one of these teams, and if they rested for a week they would still suck.”
The outspoken Barkley, the 1993 league MVP and an 11-time All-Star selection, said the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are in a league of their own in the Eastern Conference.
In the West, he limited his praise to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets.
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