Charles Barkley is seen in attendance during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCThe faux feud between Charles Barkley and Golden State Warriors nearly got very real after the Dubs’ Western Conference Finals Game 5 coronation Thursday night.
With TNT’s “Inside The NBA” crew posted up outside Chase Center, Warriors fans began pelting Barkley with projectiles and drinks. Barkley has spent the playoffs (and in fact, several years) dumping on the Bay Area, Warriors fans and the city of San Francisco while reveling in the locals’ hate, encouraging crowds chanting “CHUCK YOU SUCK.”
It’s all been good clean sports hate — unless you were this one Warriors fan’s mother — but judging by the reaction of Barkley’s coworkers, things were on the verge of crossing a line Thursday.
After at least two objects flew in Barkley’s direction, the NBA Hall of Famer snapped out of his seat and wielded his coffee cup while facing the rowdy crowd outside Chase Center. Shaq found it hilarious, laughing while Barkley was facing off with the crowd, but Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith seemed to take it slightly more seriously, repeatedly imploring “Sit down, Chuck.”
Barkley, who went out of his way several times to say how happy he was that the Finals were on ABC and not TNT, eventually sat back down before the network went to a commercial break. Once the program resumed, Barkley completed the next few segments without major incident.
Steph Curry and Draymond Green later hit the set for a short interview, and a fired-up Curry thanked Barkley for coming to his beloved San Francisco.