NBA analyst Charles Barkley didn’t take kindly to recent comments from Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who suggested that social media analysts and television coverage have contributed to the NBA’s declining viewership in recent years.
Barkley made it personal, responding during a segment on Inside the NBA. He openly criticized Redick’s coaching performance with the Lakers, implying that he’s part of the problem with the league’s waning audience.
Ahead of the Lakers’ matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, Redick was asked about Barkley’s remarks and didn’t shy away from sharing his unbothered perspective. “Yeah, I read a random text from somebody after the game,” Redick told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I went and looked at my phone, and it said something about Charles Barkley, and I’m like, ‘Huh?’”
“I didn’t make it all the way through the clip, I gotta be honest with you,” Redick continued. “My resting heart rate is probably 64. I watched the clip, and it was 64. Literally don’t care. I have other thoughts, but don’t care”.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to his team during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Barkley’s sharp critique of Redick
Barkley didn’t shy away from taking shots at Redick and the Lakers’ struggles. He referenced former Lakers head coaches Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham, both of whom were let go despite their efforts, and implied that Redick could face the same fate.
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“You can’t hide them flaws they got. You just a dead man walking,” Barkley said. “They got rid of Frank Vogel, who did a good job. They got rid of Darvin Ham, who did a good job. [Redick] came in there thinking, ‘I can make this thing work.’ Hell you can. Put some makeup on that pig. The Lakers stink, man. Come on, man.”
Finally, Barkley made his stance clear, attributing the league’s declining ratings to the way the game is played today. “We the reason, like we playing. … Hey, listen, if me and Shaq played, the ratings would be down. But in fairness, if me and Shaq played, we’d be like the third or fourth best players on that Laker team right now,” he remarked.
A brewing feud?
While Redick seems to be brushing off Barkley’s remarks, the public spat has sparked heated debates among fans and analysts. With the Lakers continuing to face struggles on the court, all eyes will be on Redick to see if he can prove his doubters wrong.
