As the Knicks prepare to battle the Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA on TNT crew is giving time to one of the biggest New York fans of all time: Spike Lee. The famed director of Malcolm X and Do The Right Thing was dressed to the nines in preparation to watch his team try to extend the series to at least six games.
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Ernie Johnson set the stage for Spike by asking him a realistic question about this series against Indiana. “If this is as far as it goes Spike, do you walk away feeling good about your team?” asked Ernie. The 68-year-old film icon dodged the question and instead revealed what he would give up if he knew the Knicks could win a title.
“I will give up an Academy Award, Oscar, for the Knicks to win a championship. I got two already,” Lee barked. Unfortunately for Spike, he was on TV with Charles Barkley, who couldn’t keep his inner thoughts to himself in the moment.
“You gonna keep ’em,” said Barkley, which got huge laughs from the crew, especially Pacer legend Reggie Miller. The jab was funny enough that even Spike managed to crack a smile.“I’m sorry,” added Barkley. “I was thinking it.”
Shaquille O’Neal knows his buddy Chuck’s behavior better than anyone. “You should have used your internal voice,” The Diesel stated. It’s clear that since his playing days, Barkley and Lee have developed an easy chemistry that allows them to go back and forth like this, because this isn’t the only time that Barkley gave some lip to the Oscar winner.
Charles Barkley once claimed Spike Lee has no athletic talent
Charles Barkley has never been shy of speaking insults to those who dare challenge him. During an old episode of the Dan Patrick Show, the one-time league MVP shared what he thought about Spike Lee and his basketball capabilities.
“Spike Lee has zero athletic ability,” joked the 11-time All-Star. Chuck took stabs at WWE legend Mark Calaway, better known as the Undertaker, in the very same interview. That said, the Deadman might chokeslam Barkley through a ring, so Chuck better be cautious of who he insults.
Besides, no one would ever see the great Spike as anything other than an accomplished filmmaker, whose stories continue to resonate with audiences to this day.
