Charles Barkley finally found something positive about TNT Sports losing NBA game rights after this season: no more All-Star Game. Credit the NBA for acknowledging its All-Star Game problem and attempting to revamp it in recent years. Unfortunately, nothing has truly worked. This season’s mini-tournament, filled with built-in distractions that detracted from the All-Stars, turned out to be worse than anyone could have imagined. Fans, media, and players unanimously agreed that it was terrible. According to Barkley, he can voice his complaints about the league’s All-Star debacle, but the players cannot.
“You do have an obligation to the game,” Barkley stated on the latest episode of The Steam Room podcast with co-host Ernie Johnson. “People always talk about leaving the place better than you found it. I don’t know if you all understand that. Complaining about the All-Star format does nothing good for our product. The good thing about it – I’m not gonna lie – we don’t have to televise that thing anymore. I’m not even upset. Because if you all don’t take it serious, why should the network and fans take it serious? So you all complaining about the format are the reason the format was bad.”
Barkley’s statements ring true; he didn’t want to attend this season’s All-Star Game, so it’s unsurprising he’s not looking forward to next year’s event under NBC. Moreover, players’ complaints about the game are ultimately counterproductive, especially since the best solution lies in them treating the event with more sincerity. However, Barkley’s criticisms come off as hypocritical, as his own complaints about the NBA do little to improve the league’s product.
Earlier this season, JJ Redick notably criticized NBA broadcasters for not adequately praising the game, while Barkley frequently uses his platform to criticize current players and their style of play. Even if some of his points are valid, it often seems that Barkley isn’t fond of the NBA. He receives $20 million annually to be an honest analyst and an ambassador for the sport, but in recent years, he hasn’t consistently fulfilled that ambassador role. If Barkley is unwilling to support the league or its events, that’s fine, but it complicates his ability to complain when players exhibit a similar lack of enthusiasm.
