You’re usually in for a wild time when Charles Barkley has a microphone in front of him because he is bound to say something outlandish or irrational.
On a recent podcast episode of The Steam Room, Barkley said something that fits both categories.
Barkley went on his podcast with co-host Ernie Johnson to discuss the Brian Flores lawsuit, which alleged that the NFL purposefully practices “unjust” and “racist” hiring policies. However, when it was his time to offer his thoughts, the Round Mound of Rebound allowed himself to wallow in self-pity, saying that it’s “exhausting” to be a person with his skin color.
“I’ve said this before … Man, it’s exhausting being Black,” Barkley said. “It’s something that’s always coming up. You’re sitting at home, minding your own business and then somebody hits you in the head, and being a limelight Black person, you have to comment on it. Man, I just hope these Black coaches get an opportunity … I want some Black coaches to get the job. If they suck, they get fired. But they deserve an opportunity.”
If you are in the spotlight on the regular, people will often want to hear what you have to say on big issues; it comes with the territory. But apparently, that is too much pressure for him to handle.
Oh, Charles, it must be so hard being you, someone who has made millions of dollars by playing a game and someone who has a voice to help the people that you believe are being systemically harmed.
Barkley also complained about his “duty” to comment on everything that happens in “black America” (which does not exist) after the Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd deaths sent shockwaves throughout the country. He also somehow managed to drag Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and form Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady down into the pit with him.
“The bottom line is it is exhausting being Black, especially when you are a celebrity. You know, I love Tom Brady but nobody asks him about what is going on in white America. Nobody asks Luka Doncic what’s going on in America,” Barkley said on CNN in 2020.
Doncic is a Slovenian-born superstar who has been in America for four years, and therefore not fully capable of understanding what goes on in America. Furthermore, Brady repeatedly chose to keep his focus on football during his career and not dive into many external issues. For Barkley to divide America into two imaginary countries and then blame two random celebrities for not being adequate spokespeople for one of them is a whole new level of stupidity.
Somebody take the mic away from Barkley until he can talk some sense.