Prior to the start of the Cavaliers/Clippers game on Thursday night, Charles Barkley took shots at the Warriors—again—by saying that they play, in his words, "girly" basketball. It's not the first time Barkley has used the word "girly" to describe the Warriors—and sadly, it probably won't be the last. "Maybe I'm old school, but I'm never going to like that little girly basketball where you have to outscore people," he said. "I love [UConn women's head coach] Geno Auriemma, one of my favorite people. I love women's college basketball. But I don't want it in the NBA."
Steve Kerr on Charles Barkley comments: "It's getting to the point if our team walked in front of his house, he'd yell 'Get off my lawn!'"
Despite the fact that Golden State has won one championship using their current style—and really, it very easily could have been two titles now—Barkley has been vocal about his disdain for the Warriors' approach to the game of basketball. Specifically, he doesn't think that their jump-shooting is going to be enough to turn them into a true dynasty. "The game’s going to come down to defense and rebounding and easy baskets down low, that’s just my philosophy," he said back in October.
Kerr had a hilarious take on Barkley's most recent criticism.
ESPN's Rachel Nichols had a stronger take (transcribed below via For The Win):
“Look, I worked with Charles for three years at TNT. We’ve been friends for a lot longer. I love that man like a big brother. I did text him last night, and I said, ‘Chuck, think about how it feels for girls watching you to hear you use girly or girls as a substitute word for weak or lame? It’s not OK.’ And his point back to me was that he was just having some fun, and, as he put it, quote ‘intent matters.’ And he is right. It does.
“But to borrow one of Chuck’s own favorite phrases, in my opinion, that is still not good enough of a reason to feel OK about using that expression. And this isn’t a P.C. (political correctness) police thing. I’m not offended in any way. This is just about girls out there who love watching Chuck talk about basketball as much as I do, who shouldn’t have to grow up feeling like they are the living, human stand-in definition of being less than or weak. And frankly, young boys shouldn’t be growing up thinking that about boys, either.”
Barkley has found all kinds of ways to hate on the Warriors in recent seasons. He once said the 1995-96 Bulls would "kill" the 2015-16 Warriors. He once referred to Steph Curry as "just a great shooter." And he once ripped Kevin Durant for trying to "cheat his way to a championship." Seems having to wear this t-shirt failed to humble him:
We're guessing Golden State's front office will be undeterred by his most recent remarks.
