Barrett Media
Author (when available): BSM Staff
NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley lit the fuse of controversy last week regarding ESPN’s coverage of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers compared to other stories around the league. While Barkley is no stranger to taking shots at the four-letter network, his latest critique specifically targeted Kendrick Perkins and the network’s insistence on discussing the Lakers—particularly LeBron James.
In his comments, Barkley called out “them fools on the other network.” This comes as the award-winning studio show Inside the NBA is set to air on ESPN and ABC beginning next season under a sublicensing deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and The Walt Disney Company.
Adding to the discussion, former ESPN employee Michelle Beadle, who co-hosts Beadle & Decker on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, agreed with Barkley’s criticisms. She also shared her own personal experiences from her time at the network.
“We had to always talk about the Lakers. We always had to talk about the (Dallas) Cowboys,” Beadle said on Monday. “It’s brain-numbing, formulaic bulls**t.”
Beadle, who worked for ESPN from 2009 to 2012 and then returned in 2014 until the summer of 2019, reflected on her time at the network. She expressed frustration over the network’s topic selection, stating that it often felt “forced” and deliberately catered to certain teams throughout the year.
“Barkley’s right. It’s been what we’ve been trying to say all damn season,” remarked Beadle. “It is not the job of one network—although I guess you can argue that it is—to just constantly s**k off one player in the league and only talk about that. That is what this is and has been for quite some time.”
Following Barkley’s remarks, Perkins was quick to respond via social media.
“Hey @NBAonTNT, might wanna tell that senior citizen Charles Barkley that I’ll be around,” Perkins wrote on X. “When he sees an idiot or fool in person, make sure he keeps that same energy. He can come playing with me if he wants to, and I’mma address his ass like the numbers on a house. Straight from the 409, homebody, and we bar none and fade all. #TexasBoy.”
Meanwhile, Beadle added her admiration for Barkley’s bold approach, praising his willingness to call people out directly.
“I just love that Barkley calls people out by name. I respect that,” Beadle said. “I think that is something that is right with all of this. I know Kendrick Perkins has responded. We all know there’s nothing that’s going to come about from this. There’s going to be a lot of hugging-it-out stuff when they see each other. I wish people held grudges like I hold grudges.”
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