Charles Barkley finds it increasingly difficult to hide his dislike for narratives that favor the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately ESPN, the company that will be employing him in 2025-26, cannot seem to function without mentioning them every chance they get, much to Chuck’s dismay.
Advertisement
As if a national TV showdown between LeBron James’ squad and the Knicks in LA isn’t ‘showtime’ enough, Barkley is currently muddled in a verbal spat with ESPN and Kendrick Perkins. Perk was on the receiving end of a couple jabs where Chuck called him an ‘idiot’ and a ‘fool’.
This seemingly ‘deep-seated hatred’ for Perk isn’t personal. Rather, it stems from the LBJ’s former teammate claiming Luka and the Lakers ‘saved’ the NBA while on ESPN.
As expected, Perkins fired back by inviting him to confront him face-to-face. This resulted in Charles dishing out the same energy, saying, “I’m easy to find. I’m on TV, Shaq. They know where I’m at.”
Sir Charles wasn’t finished. At the Halftime Report for LAL/NYK, he would go on to say, “I’m just worried about the people on the other network. They gonna be sad tomorrow. They gonna be sad and crying.”
Chuck continues to bash ESPN lmao pic.twitter.com/hYL14noXZz
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) March 7, 2025
Barkley’s assessment of ESPN in the aforementioned quote was due to the Lakers trailing by 9 at halftime. He’s of the belief that they give the purple and gold far too much importance.
There are two sides to every coin. On one side, yes, even when the Lakers are beyond putrid, they receive a ton of attention that they do not deserve, rightfully irking fans of smaller market teams.
On the flipside, the Lakers are good now. This is perhaps the best squad LA has had since the 2020 Bubble championship team (the 2023 team could be up for debate as well given their WCF appearance). So, them getting publicity now makes more sense than it has in close to 2 years.
Sir Charles has called out ESPN before
It’s quite brave of Chuck to so openly bash the company who’s going to be paying him going forward. This is however, not close to being the first time that he’s bashed the media conglomerate on a public forum.
They’re not gonna work me like a dog. ESPN Radio, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes. I mean, HELL NO! As much as I love ESPN, I just turned 61. The notion that I’m going to be working like a dog into my mid-60s, that’s definitely not going to happen.”
This was what Chuck said last year when negotiations regarding the future of ESPN were hot and heavy. Of course, he didn’t know which way those negotiations would swing so he felt as though he could say anything he wanted without any consequences.
With Chuck’s reported 9-figure deal carrying over to ESPN, fans believe it may not be wise of him to bash his future employer so openly. On the other hand, this is exactly why you keep Barkley for as long as you can: his unapologetic honesty.
