Charles Barkley stunned the NBA world last week with his bold declaration of retiring from broadcasting after next season. While his surprising decision saddened his followers, it especially left a bitter aftertaste in the mouth of his Inside the NBA colleague, Kenny Smith. Consequently, ‘The Jet’ recently called out Chuck for never informing him about his decision beforehand.
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Smith displayed his frustration through jokes while attending a recent event for the National Basketball League. While introducing himself to the crowd, the 59-year-old publicly pulled Barkley’s leg, stating,
“I’m Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith. I’m not retiring. How do you retire and don’t call the people that you work with? I don’t even know how. He [Charles Barkley] hasn’t called me yet. So, we’ll see”.
Considering the duo’s more than two-decade-long working relationship, Smith’s annoyance seems justified. During this period, they forged a strong bond, caring for each other in every walk of life. So, ‘The Jet’ had undoubtedly expected a courtesy call, at the very least, from his long-time friend after making such a massive decision.
At the same time, Smith’s mockery might have the seeds of a different future hidden within it. Despite Barkley possessing an outspoken personality, he is likely to discuss with his close friends and family before concluding a decision of such magnitude. As a result, his current contrarian approach possibly highlights his lack of seriousness about the decision.
That’s why, Smith also refused to read too much into the statement. Instead, he kept the narrative fixated on their relationship while calling Chuck out.
Draymond Green also played down Charles Barkley’s retirement talks
Draymond Green recently advised the NBA fans to digest Barkley’s comments with a pinch of salt. The Golden State Warriors star believed that the impending end of the show and the gradually rising rumors over Chuck’s future possibly led him to announce retirement. Expressing his beliefs on The Draymond Green Show, the 34-year-old mentioned,
“Chuck’s just in a very emotional state…One day you may wake and be like, ‘You know what? I’m done with this stuff. I’m out of here’… And then you probably come to your senses and be like, ‘I’m not retiring. What was I thinking about?’ The point I’m making is, I think Chuck was just in his feelings”.
The unwillingness of both of Barkley’s friends to dig deeper into his words certainly points toward an unchanged future. That said, nothing is ironclad by any stretch of the imagination, as the NBA community continues to monitor this situation with bated breath.
