Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley Again Takes Aim at San Francisco
Charles Barkley, a former NBA player and current analyst, has once again expressed his disdain for the city of San Francisco. This time, he stated that he has no intention of attending the NBA All-Star Game, which is set to take place at the Oracle Arena in San Francisco.
During a segment on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Barkley discussed the All-Star candidacy of Detroit Pistons’ young star Cade Cunningham. When asked if Cunningham will make the All-Star Team, Barkley replied, “He’s going to make the All-Star Team. I’m not going. I’m not going to that rat-infested place out in San Francisco.”
Barkley’s comments were met with resistance from his colleagues, with one of them describing San Francisco as “beautiful.” Barkley, however, stood by his opinion, stating, “San Francisco is not a beautiful city. Rats. Cats. Y’all are not gonna make me like San Francisco. No. Nope, nope, nope.”
This is not the first time Barkley has criticized San Francisco. Last year, he made similar comments during the NBA’s alternative broadcast of the All-Star Game, which took place in Indianapolis. Warriors star Draymond Green and WNBA star Candace Parker were among those who responded to Barkley’s comments, with Green calling him “crazy” and Parker saying “we love San Francisco.”
Barkley responded to Green’s criticism, saying, “Yeah, with a bulletproof vest.” He also stated that San Francisco is not a safe city, saying, “You can’t even walk around down there.”
The comments come as the city of San Francisco is working to address its growing homeless crisis, crime rates, and affordability issues. New San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has vowed to make the city’s streets safe again, build more housing, and tackle its drug and behavioral health crisis.
