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‘You only went to college for six months, answer basketball questions’: Charles Barkley rips apart Kyrie Irving for skipping media availability

Samir Mehdi
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"Half man, half-a-season!": Charles Barkley takes a shot at Kyrie Irving ahead of broadcasting the Wizards-Nets game on TNT

Charles Barkley takes shots at Kyrie Irving for acting like he’s the ‘smartest person in the world’.

Kyrie Irving’s distaste for the media has definitely been put on full display in the past few weeks. He had initially refused to talk to the media until further notice because he did not want ‘words to be put in his mouth’.

However, that immediately backfired  as Brian Windhorst did just that, claiming Kyrie Irving is have a media ‘blackout’ for the entirety of the season. Irving eventually softened up to the idea of speaking with the media. This is after both him and the Nets got dealt a $25000 fine.

While speaking with the media for the first time this past Monday, he addressed his previous comments on the media being “pawns”, amongst other statements.

Also Read: “I’m done listening to Kyrie Irving”: Shannon Sharpe says he regrets ever listening to Nets star’s comments

Upon hearing Irving’s media session, Charles Barkley felt as though he had a few choice words for the All-Star.

Charles Barkley isn’t pleased with Kyrie Irving’s demeanour

Barkley wasted no time airing out his emotions when it came to Kyrie Irving. He said, ‘When Irving, I don’t know what the hell he’s trying to say. He starts talking about what an artist is. You’re a basketball player. Yo man, you dribble a basketball, stop acting like you’re the smartest person in the world.”

The rant didn’t stop there as he continued on by saying, “Just answer stupid basketball questions. If you want to say something about social justice then say it and mean it because it’s important. But all that other stuff? Like yoman, shut the hell up and talk basketball.”

Should Kyrie Irving stick to talking only about basketball?

Irving has a tendency to treat media sessions like podcasts. He airs out his emotions and rambles on about topics that in way, shape, or form are related to NBA basketball.

Also Read: “I just want James Harden to be happy”: Kyrie Irving addresses rumors linking Rockets star to the Nets in first media availability

In that sense, yes, Irving should try to delve into more talk about basketball. However, this doesn’t mean he can’t use his platform to talk about pressing issues in the country.

Kyrie just needs to be wise enough to know what topics to talk at length about, and which to avoid.

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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