What The Chuck? Charles Barkley’s cringiest quips

What Did He Just Say?

TNT’s duties as a broadcast partner came to an end at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the network’s pregame and postgame show is widely lauded as the best in the sport. That’s largely because of Charles Barkley, who has delivered some statements in a pretty laughable way recently and over the years.

Sitting On Top Of The Monstah

During their postgame coverage of Game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the former Phoenix Suns legend proclaimed that he wanted to sit on top of the “Monster”, in a classic Boston accent. He was referring to the Green Monster at Fenway Park where the Boston Red Sox play, but that’s not exactly what came to mind for panel mates Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.

Juggling Two Balls

An NBA analyst is supposed to provide context on both sides of an argument, and Barkley did just that. He said he was “juggling two balls” deciding whether the resulting play on the court was more because the Memphis Grizzlies played intensely or because the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t give maximum effort. Either way, his choice of words was certainly interesting.

When A Guy’s Banging You

Barkley is no stranger to physical post play in the NBA, being a former power forward. However, he elected to describe that interaction using terms such as “banging” and “feeling their body.” Moderator Ernie Johnson could tell Smith and O’Neal were about to burst out laughing, and quickly pulled the studio show back on to the tracks with some halftime statistics.

Because There’s A Clock On The Stove

Barkley has been with TNT’s NBA coverage since 2000, and might have made some female viewers less than thrilled with a comment he made in 2009. He said women shouldn’t need to have watches because there’s a clock on the stove. Barkley’s daughter came on to the show in April 2023 to remind her dad that women have it a lot harder than he made it seem.

Is That Stephen A. Smith?

Barkley and O’Neal had a field day making fun of Boston Celtics’ guard Derrick White’s hairline, which has receded, to say the least. Barkley wondered out loud whether White or Stephen A. Smith, famed star of First Take on ESPN, had suited up for Boston that night. Smith also sports a hairline that retreats from his forehead.