JJ Redick stirred up controversy in the basketball world, particularly within the media, with his recent comments on the NBA’s declining ratings. Charles Barkley responded by directing some harsh remarks toward Redick ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers matchup.
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Barkley took offense to Redick’s comments that NBA broadcasters and analysts are responsible for a decline in ratings because of how often they criticize the NBA’s product. Refusing to even consider Redick’s judgement, the Chuckster blamed the players and coaches for the decline in the league’s viewership. The Inside the NBA analyst pointed to the increase in three-point shooting as the reason for the downfall.
Barkley also criticized Redick in his role as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Referring to him as a “dead man walking,” Barkley suggested that the former NBA star was destined to be fired sooner or later. Even if he performed reasonably well, Redick could have the same fate as his predecessors – Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham – Barkley predicted.
“Y’all heard JJ Redick said something about me… We’re out there jacking up 100 threes a night… JJ, you come for the king, you best not miss, cause I can get you, brother. Remember, I got your Lakers games. You can’t hide them flaws they got.”
“You just a dead man walking – they got rid of Frank Vogel who did a good job, they got rid of Darvin Ham who did a good job. You came out there thinking you were gonna change things with that same ugly girl you went on a date with,” Barkley boldly stated.
holy shit charles barkley just went IN on JJ Redick pic.twitter.com/QZZ94hTSJP
— KingCharge (@KingCharge) January 3, 2025
Redick did not specifically target Barkley with his remarks despite what the Hall of Famer believes. Instead, Redick suggested that the media could focus more on promoting the league rather than consistently offering harsh criticism.
“I don’t think we have done a good job of storytelling, of celebrating the game. If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, well, I’m not going to watch the product. And that’s really what has happened over the last 10 to 15 years,” Redick said.
Barkley makes a valid point that the media cannot solely be blamed for the decline in the league’s viewership. But his outburst ironically supports Redick’s argument proving that analysts are always ready to offer criticism. This highlights the need for the media to take accountability and reconsider their approach.
