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Charles Barkley Criticizes ESPN Coverage and Clashes with Kendrick Perkins

Barkley takes aim at ESPN's focus on marquee teams and Perkins' comments, prompting fiery responses from Perkins and Stephen A. Smith.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 07: ESPN featured commentator and executive producer on set on February 07, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face each other on Sunday.
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Overview

  • Charles Barkley criticized ESPN's NBA coverage for prioritizing the Lakers and Warriors over high-performing teams like the Cavaliers and Thunder.
  • Barkley called ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins a 'fool' and 'idiot' for claiming the Lakers 'saved the NBA' following their recent success with Luka Doncic.
  • Kendrick Perkins responded on social media, challenging Barkley to repeat his remarks in person and escalating the tension between the two future colleagues.
  • Stephen A. Smith defended ESPN's programming choices and pushed back against Barkley's generalizations, emphasizing the network's broad coverage of teams like the Cavaliers.
  • The feud comes ahead of Barkley's transition to ESPN next season, where he will join the network following TNT's loss of NBA broadcast rights.