Joining us now, basketball legend, NBA
analyst Mr. Charles Barkley.
Good morning to you, sir.
Really appreciate you joining us.
Of course, Don.
Thank you.
Thank you guys for having me.
Why so outspoken,
especially when it comes to this issue?
You know,
even as someone
who is you're covering sports
but you're speaking out
about issues
that have to do with culture and society,
why so outspoken about this?
Well, I don't
I don't like that word outspoken
because I hope anybody who sees racism
in any form whatsoever, just stand up,
whether
it's a black person,
a Hispanic person, a Jewish person
or Asian, Asian, he's
going a big deal in this country
right now.
So anybody
should try to do the right thing.
If you see something wrong
when it comes to race
are homophobic or sexist,
you should always say something.
So and I'm always going to do that.
I don't care about the repercussions.
If I see something wrong happening, Don,
I'm going to say something.
How do you think the league
should deal with it?
Because,
listen, he's still on suspension,
but how do you think
the league should deal with it?
The reason I ask is because, you know,
everyone is speaking out about it.
Kyrie Irving is facing you know,
what he's facing.
But the league let him go
for a long time.
They they sort of
are forcing him to apologize.
But would it these are his real beliefs.
Should they be dealing with that as well?
Maybe they have someone
who actually believes these things.
I'm not saying it's right
instead of forcing him to apologize.
Maybe they should be dealing with that.
That part of it
I said that's a great question, Don.
Don, people have the right to feel
and say what they want.
Do we have freedom of speech?
But they are repercussions
when you say certain things.
Listen, I don't know Kyrie Irving.
I don't know if he's a good guy
or a bad guy.
I think he's been suspended,
rightfully so.
And I think he should come back
and play in the NBA.
But, you know,
that's a really slippery slope
because, you know,
people always talk about
freedom of speech,
freedom of affect,
or you say whatever you want to.
But there are repercussions.
I mean,
and he's he's paying for that right now.
But this time with free speech
is really gotten out of hand.
I mean, you just can't go around
and salt
and people
and think it's okay
just because it's freedom of speech.
Well, people say, well, listen,
if I don't get to say what I say,
it's cancel culture.
And I don't know if you
you probably do not agree with that.
You know, I'm not I'm I don't
like to use the term cancel culture
because I don't want anybody
council counsel.
But you should be called to the carpet
if you said something wrong.
No, I don't believe somebody should
lose their job or things like that.
But you just you should be called out
if you said something stupid.
Hey, I've been called out
minutes and I have no problem with that.
But I hate the term cancel culture
because very few people are canceled.
Let's be honest and realistic
Yeah, that's a that's a good point.
Can I something real quick
that I didn't think to do?
Maybe you didn't see it
so you might not be able to answer.
Did you see SNL?
Did you see Dave Chappelle, his monologue
I did not, but I listened.
Let me just say this.
I'm a Dave Chappelle fan.
I have a really strict line on racism.
Sexism, homophobic, things like that.
Just wrong.
It's nothing to joke about.
It's a very serious subject.
You know, Don, it's crazy.
I'm almost 60 years old
and I grew up in Alabama,
you know, and obviously
I know about Montgomery,
Selma, Birmingham and things like that.
To still be having
a racial conversation 60 years later,
and we're debating
whether people have the right to say it
and joke about it is really it makes
it just makes me sad, you know,
it makes me it makes me mad,
but it really just makes me sad
that 60 years later,
we're still saying
having a racial conversation
60 years later
and almost said Look, almost
more than a decade ago, I do have to say
and then let you guys jump in here
because I want to hold this conversation.
One of the first people to contact me
after I came out was this man
right here,
and that was over a decade ago.
So these issues
are really important to you
and you always stand up for
people's individual rights.
Well, you know, Don, first of all,
one thing that always has disturbed me
as a black person,
which really bothers me
about the Kyrie Irving situation
and the Kanye West situation,
first of all, being black in America
is already hard enough.
And for us to go at other ethnic groups
just makes things worse
because it's hard enough being black.
And one thing is always disappointing me.
Black people treat gay people.
We are the worst
when it comes to treating gay people.
And as one thing growing up,
it really always bothers me.
And I want to reach out to you
and all my gay friends,
all my transgender friends
and tell you, man,
I got no love and respect for you.
I want you to be you.
And I wanted you to know that that day,
because I understand
being black, what it's like being gay
because you get mistreated
and it's really unfortunate
and sad and stupid, to be
honest with you.
Charles, you mentioned your home
state of Alabama.
We both share.
Thank you for that, by the way. Sorry.
Yeah, that's really that's a little
I'm glad you pointed that out.
Obviously, you're an Auburn fan.
I'm an Alabama fan.
So we disagree there.
But you live in Arizona now.
And I wonder what you make of
of the election results
that we've been talking
about this morning
and what happened in this state.
Do you live in now
Well, number one,
I don't want to talk about Auburn
right now.
It's that's a very touchy subject.
I don't want to talk about Alabama.
So that's fine.
Let's talk about LSU, but sorry.
Go on. Go ahead. Sorry.
Yeah.
You know,
it's been very interesting watching
the results
you know, it's been frustrating.
So I Carol,
I don't know Carrie Lake that well.
I met her quite a few times.
She's always been cordial.
Friendly, just a great lady.
What has happened to her
the last few years
has been very frustrating
and disappointing to me
because all these are election deniers.
Like,
are they only saying election is legit
if they're win?
Yes.
That's the thing
that's frustrating for me.
Like a Republican, not to say
unless we win.
If the election was stolen,
is that the motto we're going to have
for the rest of history?
If they don't win
an election that was stolen.
And that was the thing that bothered me
the most about watching Kerry.
Like I say,
she's always been great to me.
She was always a nice lady.
But what I've seen in the last few years
is just really disappointing
because
this thing that unless Republicans
and let's say I
I'm an independent,
I vote for
whoever the hell I want to
vote for, I'm an independent.
But this notion that
unless Republicans win
the election is stolen,
we can't go on like that,
that's just really sad.
You know, does you know, Dr.
Oz
I know who he is.
And I was watching that because I know
I don't
I got to tell you how crazy my life is.
I work in Atlanta
so between the ads on Warnock
and her show,
I live in Philadelphia
doing a summer between doctor
as the doctor as I call him, and Doc
and Mr. Fetterman.
And then I live in Arizona.
So are all the three states
that I live in and work in.
I have been bombarded with silliness.
I'm so glad.
Well, I'm fortunate
we still got the
the runoff down here in Georgia, but
I live in the three
craziest states whatsoever.
It's been crazy for the last six months,
and I'm so glad it's over.
Not over in Georgia, by the way,
you said you said three years ago
to our colleague
and friend
David Axelrod
that you were disgusted with politics
in the political process.
That was 20. 18.
And I just wonder how you get.
Yes, right.
Thanks to whoever gave you the towel.
That was very kind.
But
how do you feel about it now?
Because I'm just interested
in your politics.
I mean, I remember
you were saying in 2016
that you would maybe
vote for John Kasich.
So what do you think of politics?
Now? What?
Well, John Kasich is actually
the only Republican
I've ever voted for, Poppy.
Yeah,
but I am
I am disgusted with our politics.
This
you got to vote one way or the other.
You got to have the House of Majority
and all this stuff.
Listen, man,
these are actually real people out here.
There's nobody who disagrees
on every subject.
These people are elected
to try to make things better.
The notion that you got to have
every Republican vote,
every Democratic vote is a flat out joke.
Listen,
I can walk up to somebody
who's a Democrat or independent ever.
We don't disagree on every subject.
And these politicians,
they have ruined our country.
They have ruined our country.
This is the greatest place in the world.
And the notion
that we have to vote
one way or the other on
every subject is a
I just feel sad for it
because let's be realistic.
It's not going to have any effect upon
my life.
I'm not going to get on my soapbox saying
whoever the president,
who's a senator
has zero effect upon my life.
But I feel bad for everyday people
because these people,
because of the pandemic
inflation, crime, yes,
these people need real help out there
and our politicians
aren't happening at all.
Well,
you've been a big
ally of the LGBTQ community.
For a long time.
We were talking about earlier
things that politicians can do
to protect people and help people.
Look at like the Senate
this week is going to take up
codifying same sex marriage, the fact
they feel like they have to do this
after the Supreme Court
decision in Dobbs.
But your your thoughts on that
because that means
a lot to a lot of folks
Well, I think a couple of things.
Number one, gay marriage should be legal.
If people want to get married,
that's their own business not.
And listen,
this debate
I don't get into debate
whether somebody chooses to be gay.
Listen,
I don't think anybody chooses to be gay
because you don't want the
the scrutiny and the hate
and things that go on.
I think the first thing
our politicians need to do,
whether you're gay,
Asian, black, Hispanic women,
any form of hate crime
should be met with severity.
I mean, serious consequences.
That's the first thing
we should be having these debates
and inform
I hate in 2022
should be civilly dealt with
and that to me would be
a really great start
whether it's President Biden
who's going to be the next Brett
and whoever say any form of hate crime
you're going to be punished
to the fullest extent of the law
and that would be a great starting point.