Charles Barkley Calls Kendrick Perkins and ESPN “Fools” for Their Biased NBA Coverage

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has had an ongoing feud with ESPN for quite some time. If he’s not joking about the Disney-branded company overworking its talent across multiple channels, he’s complaining about how they only focus on major-market teams in the NBA.

Many fans believe that Barkley and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James don’t see eye to eye, as Barkley frequently criticizes the team when they struggle.

Since the Luka Dončić trade, the Lakers have been on a roll, and the NBA media has been pushing the narrative of LeBron’s dominance. Kendrick Perkins has called him the MVP, Shannon Sharpe believes the Lakers can beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game series, and Stephen A. Smith has crowned him the GOAT of longevity. Barkley, however, had enough of the excessive Lakers coverage and let it be known on Inside the NBA last night.

“I want all the smoke… the Lakers are doing great… Y’all are idiots because y’all talk about the Lakers and the Warriors all the time… Oklahoma City [Thunder] and the Cavs been ballin for six months.”

Charles Barkley took SHOTS at ESPN 😳pic.twitter.com/T24BBE1m9t

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 7, 2025

“I saw a fool, an idiot, saying the Lakers saved the NBA,” Barkley said. “He’s an idiot and a fool, he knows who he is. What’s his name, Shaq? Kendrick Perkins. First of all, the Lakers have had a great two weeks. He said the Lakers saved the season—that’s because of those fools on the other network that we’ll be working with next year, that’s all they talk about. Let me tell y’all something, and I want all the smoke. I don’t whistle while I walk by the graveyard or anything like that. The Lakers are doing great, got a long way to go. But the season has been going great for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.”

Kendrick Perkins clapped back on Twitter last night, and it’s safe to say we’ll hear more from him soon. The Inside the NBA crew moving to ESPN next season only makes this situation and future conversations even more interesting.

Stephen A. Smith also chimed in, quoting the video of Barkley and sharing his own thoughts.

Yo Chuck, stop the b.s. with the “y’all.” Attach a name to it. I know I’ve been talking about @cavs being the No.1 threat to the @Celtics. Once you come over here, there’s gonna be some folks waiting to call YOU a fool. P.S. You know I love ya, though. See y’all soon. Yo… https://t.co/8PbBWVRlim

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 7, 2025

Hey @NBAonTNT might wanna tell that senior citizen Charles Barkley that I’ll be around. When he see an idiot or fool in person make sure he keep that same energy. He can come playing with me if he want to and imma Address his ass like the numbers on a house. Straight from the 409…

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) March 7, 2025