Our next guest is one of the most recognizable names
in sports.
He's an NBA Hall of Famer, a nine-time All-Star,
and this year is his 20th season as an analyst
for inside the NBA on TNT.
Please welcome Charles Barkley.
[CHEERING]
Hey, Ellen, how are you doing?
I'm great, Charles.
How are you doing?
I'm doing good.
Basketball is back.
I'm glad you're feeling better.
We missed you.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
I am.
I'm one of the lucky ones.
It didn't get me that bad.
I want to thank you for coming back even though we scared you
last time.
I didn't know you'd come back.
No, first of all, I'm hoping I get more vacuum cleaners.
You really hooked me up last time.
Oh.
[LAUGHTER]
So that scared the hell out of me that time.
Yeah.
But you know what, you made up for with the vacuum cleaners
so we're always good.
All right.
It was perfect but it was rough at work.
Because anytime, somebody scares me, Shaq loves it.
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
Hey, the inauguration just happened on Wednesday.
You're never afraid to speak your mind.
So what are your thoughts on everything going on
in politics lately?
Well, I just hope we can come together.
It's been a rough four years.
And I just want to be off from somebody tweeting.
I mean, every single day, we have
to talk about something this dude has tweeted.
I'm just glad that we going to get some time off
and we can work on some serious issues.
Like obviously, the stimulus is a really big deal
because blessings and thoughts to anyone
who lost someone because of COVID,
but also anybody who lost a business or lost their job.
So that should be number one.
We got to work on immigration.
So President Biden got his hands full.
But it's time for us to stop letting these politicians make
a fool out of us.
The Democrats and the Republicans,
the notion that everybody votes the same way on every subject
is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life.
And it's time for those politicians
to realize they work for the American people
and get their crap together.
[APPLAUSE]
Yup.
And you're right.
He has his hands full.
There is a lot to be done.
And I echo what you're saying.
I feel so badly for all the people
that have lost their businesses, people
that have lost their jobs.
I mean, we've got to get people back on their feet
because this is--
it breaks my heart to see what's going on out there.
You're very direct.
Have you thought about running for office?
Yeah, I thought about it, then I saw how much they make,
and I do not want to make that type of money.
I'm just going to stick to TV where I'm getting paid a lot.
Because I'm one of those guys, once I
start stealing money as a politician,
they're going to get me for sure.
The other guys can get away with it,
but they're going to get me for sure when
I start to [INAUDIBLE] money.
[LAUGHTER]
All right.
[LAUGHTER]
See, you're honest.
That's what I like about you.
So I can't believe this but we're already
coming up on the one year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's
passing.
It was devastating for all of us.
And how did his death affect you?
It was like a death in my family.
You know, Ellen, when you play in the NBA, the guy--
I've known Kobe his whole life.
So I've been around him for 30 years.
So he was like part of my family.
And anytime somebody in the NBA dies, it's painful.
And he was a great kid.
He was a hell of a obviously one of the greatest basketball
players ever.
But when people die young, that's what hurts me.
Like, if you get to be a certain age
and die, if you had a great life.
But when you die really young, it just
really sucks, especially his wife and his kids.
And also, I want to make sure I give a shout
out to the other people who died on that plane.
Yeah.
That's the one thing I always tell my friends, man,
if something happens, you got all those other families who
lost loved ones.
And I want to give them my thoughts and prayers a year out
on those people also.
Yes.
You know what, that is so true.
I mean, obviously, everyone knew Kobe and we talk about him.
But yeah, other people died and there
were a lot of people impacted by that as well.
So our hearts go out to them as well.
So the NBA season just started.
This is your 20th season on the inside the NBA on TNT.
It's just going to be so weird with COVID.
It's crazy.
Our announcers are doing the games
from home, which is weird.
But I tell you, these players, man, they're
under so much stress right now.
They gave these mandates so they have
to go straight from practice to home from games to home.
When they travel, they have to go to a certain restaurant.
And I'm just hoping they stick to the protocols
because this thing is so dangerous.
And it's really weird the way it affects certain people.
Some people like yourself, you get like a little cold,
you feel bad for a couple of days.
I just lost one of my best friends
from high school, [INAUDIBLE] Lockhart.
He caught COVID and was gone within 10 days.
And it just crazy.
You just got to be safe, man, with this disease.
Yeah.
I know that you speak your mind as I
said that you're so honest about sharing your opinions.
Have you ever said anything that you
wish that you would have said differently or not said at all?
Yeah, actually, I'm so glad you asked me that question.
I said some last week that, whether I believe it or not,
it was a stupid thing to say, that I think these NBA
players-- because I think they should get--
and I said it even though I believe it,
I think they should get the vaccine because we
have no idea how playing sports is going
to have an affected on you down the line if you get this virus.
And if you're going to try to play basketball,
I think they should get the shot.
But I made it seem like they were
more important than other people and they're not.
And if it came out stupid.
And I apologize if anybody was offended.
But like I said, I want my players to be safe.
Listen, but if they can get that vaccine,
I hope they get it because we have
no idea how this being going to affect people
in 10, 20, 30 years.
But, it came off that as an elite person.
And I apologize if anybody took it like that.
Well, I'm glad you got to apologize.
And all right, we're going to take a break.
We're going to play a game with Charles when we come back.
We'll be back.