After the Golden State Warriorsâ series-ending 113-104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, former Sixers great Charles Barkley found himself in a shouting match with fellow Hall of Famer Shaquille OâNeal during a heated segment on TNTâs Inside the NBA.
The early Wednesday incident started with Barkley opining about Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey needing to ârepair his relationshipâ with DeMar Derozan, who was benched during Game 3 of the teamâs Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite reports that Casey will be named the NBA coach of the year, many say his deteriorating relationship with the star guard contributed to the Raptors being swept in four games by the Cavaliers.
âYou donât disrespect your best player,â Barkley said. âIf you donât have a great relationship with your best player, youâre never going to win.â
Letâs just say OâNeal didnât quite agree with Barkleyâs take.
âMe and Pat Riley never saw eye to eye in Miami and look what happened? So itâs not true what youâre saying,â OâNeal shot back. He said Barkley didnât know what heâs talking about in terms of championships.
âI didnât have Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant carrying me up and down the court,â Barkley retorted.
âI got three Finals MVPs, Chuck! Google me, Chuck!â OâNeal responded as he pointed to the giant championship ring on his hand.
Watch:
Chuck and Shaq get heated in a back-and-forth on coach-player relationshipsâ¦#InsideTheNBA pic.twitter.com/ElQxwBV5s7
â NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2018
Of course, this isnât the first time Barkley has been caught in a heated back-and-fourth during this seasonâs NBA playoffs.
Last week, an angry Barkley proclaimed, âI just want to see somebody punch him in the face,â as a shot of Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green flashed across the screen. Reporters asked Green about the remark after Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Pelicans.
âI heard what he said. A lot of guys talk on TV, stand behind a microphone and a TV screen,â Green said. âThe fact of the matter is if you feel that strongly about something, heâs seen me a million times. If you feel that strongly about it, then punch me in my face when you see me.â
Barkley appeared to not take the issue seriously during the subsequent broadcast of Inside the NBA, mockingly throwing air punches on set. But the former Sixers great ultimately apologized to Green, calling his comments âinappropriate.â
âI would never punch an NBA player. I meant what I said ⦠but I would never punch an NBA player,â Barkley said. He later added: âBut what I said was wrong and I apologize.â
Charles Barkley issued an apology to @Money23Green for saying he wanted to punch him in the face. #NBA #NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/U5MzELgzWE
â Chat Sports (@ChatSports) May 3, 2018
At least two of Greenâs teammates werenât impressed with the apology Barkley offered.
âWhen I was growing up, and I said something where I was in the wrong, my mom wanted me to apologize. If I said, âIâm sorry, but I still meant it,â I wouldâve gotten slapped in the face,â two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry said, according to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. âWhen it comes to people with microphones, you canât take that stuff too seriously.â
âHe said what he said,â Kevin Durant said last week. âI donât know why heâs so angry all the time at the new generation of basketball. But I guess thatâs what it is.â
TNT is broadcasting the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and the Houston Rockets, which start Monday (ESPN will broadcast the Eastern Conference finals).