Charles Barkley has made the headlines again after making one other eyebrow-raising comment about a celeb attending an NBA Finals game.
The basketball analyst drew attention during Game 5 of the championship series when he reacted to actress Sydney Sweeney’s appearance in the gang.
The moment quickly became a talking point online, especially because it got here just days after Barkley sparked controversy with remarks about rapper Cardi B during one other Knicks playoff game.
Sydney Sweeney was among the many high-profile celebrities who traveled to San Antonio to observe the Recent York Knicks tackle the Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The Idaho-born actress appeared courtside wearing a white Knicks shirt as she cheered on the team in the course of the pivotal matchup.
Sweeney was seated alongside boyfriend Scooter Braun, a Recent York native who has also been supporting the Knicks throughout their playoff run.
During ESPN’s coverage of the sport, Charles Barkley appeared surprised to see the “Euphoria” star in attendance.
“Sydney Sweeney is here? Everybody’s a Recent York Knicks fan now,” Barkley remarked.
The actress was later featured in a celeb montage showing famous Knicks supporters who made the trip to Texas. Other notable faces included Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, John Turturro, and Ben Stiller.
Charles Barkley’s comments arrived shortly after he faced backlash over one other celebrity-related remark in the course of the Knicks’ playoff campaign.
Just days before mentioning Sweeney, the longtime analyst stirred controversy when he made comments about halftime performer Cardi B that referenced the rapper’s chest.
As The Blast reported, the controversy began when the Hall of Famer reacted to the rapper’s halftime appearance and quipped, “I don’t know if those B’s. Those could be Cardi D’s,” referencing her chest size in the course of the broadcast.
The remark quickly went viral, prompting a flood of reactions online. While many fans laughed off the joke as classic Barkley humor, others called it inappropriate, with some critics labeling the comment “diabolical” and even suggesting he could possibly be “fired” from ESPN over it.
Moderately than back down, Charles Barkley embraced the controversy surrounding his viral Cardi B joke and said he can be greater than pleased if ESPN decided to point out him the door.
In accordance with The Blast, the NBA analyst addressed the backlash during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” where he laughed off the criticism.
Barkley revealed he still had six or seven years remaining on his contract and joked that being fired would actually work in his favor.
“I’m hoping they fire me,” he said, adding that he would “love” to be paid for the rest of the deal without having to work.
Barkley also made it clear he has little patience for critics upset over the joke. “People can’t take a joke?” he said before doubling down further by telling those with no humorousness they’ll “kiss my *ss. My whole *ss, not only one cheek. The entire *ss.”
Barkley Roasts Ice Spice After Viral McDonald’s Altercation
Cardi B isn’t the one star Charles Barkley has spoken about in recent times. The Blast reported that the 63-year-old had the “Contained in the NBA” crew in stitches after turning a sponsored McDonald’s segment right into a running joke about rapper Ice Spice’s recent altercation at certainly one of the chain’s restaurants.
Because the panel prepared to debate NBA playoff motion, Barkley suddenly quipped that McDonald’s was serving “slappy Pleased Meals,” referencing reports that Ice Spice was allegedly slapped during a late-night visit to a Los Angeles location.
When Shaquille O’Neal asked what he meant, Barkley replied, “You see Ice Spice got slapped at McDonald’s?” before joking, “What you doing at McDonald’s in the course of the night, Ice Spice? Come on, stop that. Get it to go.”
The comments sent O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and even members of the production crew into matches of laughter.
Barkley later doubled down, telling the panel, “A slappy Pleased Meal over there. Let Ice Spice eat in peace!” while joking that she “must have slapped her within the face with a Big Mac.”
Weeks later, Barkley earned praise online after speaking candidly about homophobia in skilled sports while paying tribute to late NBA trailblazer Jason Collins.
During an emotional discussion on “Contained in the NBA” following Collins’ death at age 47, Barkley argued that society still had a protracted technique to go when it got here to acceptance.
“If one other guy did it, it will still be a giant deal because we live in a homophobic society,” Barkley said per The Blast, referring to a different energetic athlete publicly coming out as gay.
He also dismissed the concept there are not any other gay athletes competing at the very best levels of sports, adding, “Anybody who thinks we ain’t got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they’re just silly.”
Barkley’s comments quickly drew praise across social media, with many applauding him for using his platform to challenge stereotypes and support the LGBTQ+ community.