Charles Barkley is known for uttering outlandish statements about basketball or things he has no knowledge of.
In fact, TNT Network has paid the Basketball Hall of Famer quite well for his often controversial and usually insulting commentary as a basketball analyst for Inside the NBA, and starting a new season, ESPN is signing up for it next. Barkley has a habit of sticking his big foot in his mouth.
The flex is he is well paid and in demand because of his loud mouth and lack of care for who or what he insults.
Many Houstonians got a little pissed when Barkley, who once played for the Rockets, complained about how terrible the beaches in Galveston are, with the dirty water. He might not have been wrong, but folks around here didn’t feel it needed to be said.
But TNT’s resident loudmouth crossed a line recently when he went on an out-and-out assault of fraternities during a live television broadcast. The dialogue started out with the normal trading of barbs between Barkley and co-host and longtime rival Shaquille O’Neal.
But the minute O’Neal, who is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., threw up his hook and stuck out his tongue in signature Que fashion, Barkley went in with his disdain for fraternities.
“I don’t want to be in no fraternity,” Barkley said. “A bunch of damn loser dudes getting together all the time…Only losers join fraternities.”
TNT co-host Kenny Smith, a former Rockets great, tried to clean it up, letting Barkley and the NBA television viewing audience know about all the good work traditional Black fraternities like Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma and Kappa Alpha Psi do in their communities.
Typical of a loudmouth, Barkley wasn’t hearing it and doubled down on his initial statement.
“Knock it off. If they were that good, you’d join,” Barkley said.
Smith responded by telling him he didn’t have time to pledge a frat while playing basketball and attending the University of North Carolina.
Once again, Barkley shot back, “You were busy. Yeah, only losers join fraternities.”
As you can imagine, members of the Divine 9 went on sound off against Barkley. And rightfully so.
Fraternities and sororities aren’t for everyone who goes to college, and we’ve all heard of some of the horrific hazing incidents that result in students losing their lives while pledging a fraternity. But it was ridiculous for Barkley to make the statements that he made, given all of the good work thousands of chapters across the country do on a daily basis.
Young men are being inspired, mentored and sent to college because of the work of many of these organizations. It’s ridiculous to hear the criticism of fraternities and their members from a man who once declared he isn’t a role model for young kids.
Barkley was also reminded that his former best friend, Michael Jordan, is a member of Omega Psi Phi, but he didn’t want to believe it.
“Michael ain’t wasting his time with no fraternity,” said Barkley, whose long-standing friendship with Jordan ended because of some comments Barkley made about Jordan as an NBA owner of the Charlotte Hornets. “He might be, but he ain’t doing nothing with them bums.”
Smith might have been on to something when he told Barkley he probably didn’t have the GPA to join a fraternity when he attended Auburn. But of course, Barkley was going to have the last word.
“I did,” he said. “I averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds. That’s my grade point average.”
