Charles Barkley is one of the most notable former NBA players who has shared his vocal disapproval of the league today. The 61-year-old continued his lambasting of the NBA’s current landscape during his appearance on They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce. When Kelce asked for Barkley’s opinion on the matter, the legend didn’t hold back.
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“I don’t like the current landscape [of the NBA] at all,” Barkley said. He then shared the reasoning for his bold opinion, explaining that professional basketball players don’t shoulder nearly the level of tiresome responsibilities as those in other occupations.
“We’re not f****** steel workers, we’re not teachers, we’re not nurses, we’re not somebody in the service… To make 30, 40, 50 million dollars to play basketball two days a week in a row, if that’s too much to ask, please tell me,” the Hall of Famer continued.
Barkley went on to call out players who have eight-figure salaries refusing to play back-to-backs, considering he was happy to oblige while making just $5 million a year. Chuck underlined that this was still plenty of money, but when he saw what NBA athletes are making today, the 11-time All-Star was truly baffled at the thought of players sitting out.
Barkley then cited Zion Williamson’s fitness issues as a problem that modern-day athletes should never have. The Pelicans star has struggled with injuries and weight problems throughout his career, yet was handed a luxurious five-year, $193 million rookie max extension prior to last season.
“[Zion’s] making like 40 million dollars. I’d be anorexic for 40 million dollars. They’d be like ‘Charles is too skinny’,” the Chuckster added.
Williamson isn’t the only current star Barkley has called out, though. He also voiced his disapproval when former MVP, Joel Embiid, publicly announced that he would likely sit out all back-to-backs for the foreseeable future. The 16-year veteran believes modern players aren’t appreciative enough of the opportunity they have.
Charles Barkley believes NBA players are lucky
Not only does Chuck not love the leaguewide load management, but he also simply doesn’t believe that today’s athletes realize how lucky they are. Players today make so much money that some don’t even comprehend the riches they have.
“[NBA players are] the luckiest people in the world. To play a sport, we make more money in a week than most people are going to make their entire lives,” Barkley said.
This certainly wasn’t the first tangent Sir Charles has gone on regarding the league’s current landscape. Considering the NBA’s continuously rising salary cap and the overly cautious style of play, it likely won’t be his last, either.
