Getty Kevin Durant reacts to a play during the 2018 NBA Finals
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is one of the best power forwards in NBA History. Because of Charles’s success as a player, he often compares the new era of the NBA to the old school version of the NBA that he was a part of. Charles voices this with an often-brash delivery as a host on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Chuck is known to say things that rub players the wrong way without fear of consequence. The Brooklyn Nets have seemed to be Chuck’s favorite target to shoot at this NBA season, and Nets star forward Kevin Durant is fed up with him.
Kevin Durant is Fed Up With Charles Barkley
Charles’ range of hot takes expands far beyond the game of basketball. Chuck is known for his strong opinions on politics and social issues as well. During a recent episode of Inside the NBA, the Hall of Famer suggested that NBA players should be one of the priority groups as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccination. His reason? Because athletes pay more money in taxes.
Charles Barkley argues NBA and NHL players should get the COVID vaccine before others because they pay more in taxes:
“They deserve some preferential treatment.”
“Three hundred million shots, give a thousand to some NBA players, NFL players, hockey players,” Barkley said. “Listen, as much taxes as these players pay, they deserve some preferential treatment.” KD was displeased with Chuck’s commentary, to say the least.
“I don’t know why they still ask for this idiot’s opinion,” KD said of Chuck via his Instagram page.
Kevin Durant on Charles Barkley: “I don’t know why they still ask for this idiots opinion.” 👀
Yikes.
The War of Words Between Chuck and the Nets Continues
Charles has had a bit of a war of words with the Brooklyn Nets stars this season. At the beginning of the season Kyrie had a self-imposed a media blackout, in which he refused to talk directly to the media in support of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Once Chuck heard the story, he went off on Kyrie.
“Yo, man, shut the hell up and talk basketball,” Barkley said of Kyrie on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin morning show. “He’s a basketball player. That is what he is. Listen, we are not front-line responders. We are not teachers. Yo man, you dribble a basketball, stop acting like you’re the smartest person in the world.”
Kyrie obviously is close with his teammate KD. After a win against the Warriors on opening night Charles asked KD. about his rehab process leading up to his return to the court. Seemingly in support of his teammate Kyrie, KD’s response was short and sweet. “There was talk about you coming back for the playoffs last year. So, you have really just been working on your game trying to get back your timing and conditioning, really to be honest, correct?” asked Barkley. An uninterested looking Durant answered the question with a simple: “Yeah.”
We are only one month into the NBA season and the war of words between Chuck and the Nets is already kicked into high gear. You can almost guarantee that Chuck will have a response of his own during the next episode of Inside the NBA.
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