For former NBA star Charles Barkley, this shot at San Francisco was dead on.
The one-time power forward and current TNT and CBS Sports basketball analyst caused an uproar on Sunday during the NBA All-Star Game with a question that reminded the whole country just what a disaster the city really is.
And progressives were howling.
As a disapproving “For the Win” column reported in USA Today, Barkley made the remarks while appearing on a TruTV “altcast” that was picked up briefly by TNT.
While the booth personalities were joking about the cold in Indianapolis (where East beat West by an astonishing score of 211-186), Barkley cut in with a question that drew national attention to the Basket Case by the Bay.
Addressing former Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller, who spent 18 years playing in the Hoosier State, Barkley contrasted the cold there with the crime-ridden streets of the current San Francisco.
“Hey, Reggie,” Barkely said. “If you had a chance of being cold or being around a bunch of homeless crooks in San Francisco …”
Check it out here (Barkley’s comment starts about the 15-second mark):
Charles Barkley again bashed San Francisco, this time around talk of the cold in Indianapolis. “If you had the chance between being cold or being around a bunch of homeless crooks in San Francisco, which would you take?” pic.twitter.com/o0W9aUQCyI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 19, 2024
Would you ever visit San Francisco?
The rest of the question was drowned out by objections from Barkley’s colleagues, but he got the point across. Decades of progressive Democratic rule have ruined a city blessed with a natural environment and man-made architecture that should be a showcase for the country.
Instead, it’s overrun with crime, drug addiction and homelessness that make it a national disgrace.
But liberals don’t like talk like that — especially not on national television.
As Fox News reported, announcer Candace Parker, the unapologetically leftist WNBA star, tried to shut Barkely down, saying, “We love San Francisco.”
“No, we don’t,” Barkley said. “You can’t even walk around down there.”
Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green — a guy whose team is based in San Franciso (who has his own history with Barkley) — tried to defend the city, too, Fox reported.
“Yes, you can walk around,” he said.
“Yeah, with a bullet proof vest,” Barkley answered.
Naturally, that didn’t sit well with the liberals who run media outlets like USA Today.
The “For the Win” piece is headlined “Charles Barkley was criticized for his awful comments about San Francisco during the All-Star Game.” No editorializing there.
And the kind of social media users who feel obligated to include their pronouns in their profiles weren’t happy.
Charles Barkley trashes San Francisco during All-Star game “If you had the chance of being in cold or in front of a bunch of homeless crooks in San Francisco…you can’t even walk around down there with a bulletproof vest”
Charles Barkley should be suspended for these
— Caillou Borden (@caillouborden12) February 19, 2024
Heck, TNT announcer Brian Anderson even suggested Barkley cut off his own mic, telling him to hold down the button that says “cough,” which would effectively mute the microphone.
But there were plenty of social media users who saw exactly what Barkley was talking about.
Charles Barkley during the NBA All-Star game Sunday dropped some savage truth bombs about San Franciscopic.twitter.com/RSU6M7qA2r
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) February 19, 2024
Charles Barkley saying San Francisco is full of homeless crooks was probably the best moment of the NBA All Star Game. pic.twitter.com/xwdfz4HARr
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 19, 2024
Charles Barkley shreds Nancy Pelosi’s home town. pic.twitter.com/GMxRPpEkIG
— Dion Cini (@dioncini) February 19, 2024
Barkely, of course, is no stranger to controversy, or courting criticism from both the left and the right.
He’s also known for outspoken criticisms of San Francisco. In 2022, during a bizarre rain delay during Game 4 of the Western Coast Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors (rain was leaking through the roof of the American Airlines Center in Dallas), Barkley joked that the rain should go north to San Francisco to “clean up those dirty-a** streets they got there.”
Your rain delay entertainment-
Charles Barkley continuing to troll Warriors fans by trashing San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/h76RYxw44y
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2022
Naturally, liberals don’t like to hear that — since the only reason for San Francisco’s current state of decrepitude is decades of uninterrupted leftist rule.
The city is an object lesson in how even the greatest natural gifts from God and the application of human genius can be combined first into heartbreaking beauty — postcard-worthy images abound in almost any street scene or view of San Francisco — then warped into abject ugliness and despair.
San Francisco was and should be a jewel of American cities, not the butt of sordid jokes that are funny mainly because they’re so painfully true.
Misguided liberal policies have done incalculable damage. And liberal outrage at anyone who points it out isn’t going to change that.
This was one Barkely shot that was dead on.
