Despite vowing to boycott the 2025 NBA All-Star Game to avoid San Francisco, Charles Barkley made the trip—and it seems he’s not winning any friends. Barkley has a long history of tension with the Golden State Warriors and the city itself, openly expressing his disdain. Just last month, he categorically stated he wouldn’t go to “that rat-infested place out in San Francisco” for the All-Star event. Yet, true to form, he’s now present and will be throughout the weekend.
To kick off All-Star Weekend, Barkley, along with Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, hosted Inside the NBA in front of a live audience on Thursday night. It took just about five minutes for Barkley to bring up the city’s homeless population, prompting a chorus of boos from attendees. “I actually like San Francisco, I really do,” he stated in an unusual moment of praise. “I mean, obviously, hey listen, we got to do something about the homeless. They need their help. We got to clean it up a little bit.”
Charles Barkley doesn’t seem to be making any friends in San Francisco pic.twitter.com/69gSdBdQH9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2025
As the crowd continued to boo, Smith and Johnson quickly chimed in, insisting Barkley’s intentions were rooted in a desire to help the homeless. “I say, ‘Help the homeless,’ and some of these people so stupid they boo,” Barkley responded, visibly frustrated. However, the audience’s discontent wasn’t about the idea of aiding the homeless; it was directed at Barkley for his relentless criticism of the city. Here he was again, less than five minutes into his San Francisco visit for All-Star Weekend, reiterating his mockery of an issue he frequently highlights. In last year’s All-Star Game, he infamously referred to San Francisco’s homeless as “homeless crooks,” capping it off with a comment about needing a “bulletproof vest” to navigate the city.
The locals might have reciprocated with a warmer reception if they believed his claims were sincere, but his continued association of San Francisco with issues of homelessness and crime likely fueled their disdain—hence the boos.
