Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley weighed in on Shannon Sharpe’s verbal altercation with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and he disagreed with Sharpe’s conduct.
“Reporters should never get in there with players. It’s just my rule of thumb because we get paid to talk about these guys,” Barkley said Wednesday during an interview on Sirius XM NBA Radio, “And if you hate guys or don’t get along with guys, you’re going to be a little biased whether you believe it or not.”
Sharpe, who co-hosts “Undisputed” on Fox Sports 1, got into an argument with Dillon Brooks before halftime of Friday’s game with the Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers. Sharpe then made matters worse by getting up to scream more, prompting Brooks, Ja Morant and Steven Adams to approach him before being separated by security at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.
Sharpe, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, apologized for his actions with a three-minute statement on Monday. The Grizzlies have not commented further since Friday and play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (9 p.m. ESPN/Bally Sports Southeast).
Barkley hasn’t been shy about calling out past fan behavior or criticizing players. Earlier this season, he said Morant needed to evolve and improve his teammates. Morant and several Grizzlies quickly responded to dismiss Barkley’s comments.
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During the playoffs last year, Barkley slammed fans involved in an altercation with Chris Paul’s family and suggested players should be able to fight off unruly fans. He didn’t go that far with Sharpe and the Grizzlies, but he didn’t condone Sharpe’s actions.
“I’m not saying anyone was right or wrong, but I’m saying as a guy who’s on TV, I could never get in with the players. That’s just my rule of thumb,” he said. Barkley said.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Charles Barkley: Shannon Sharpe criticized for Grizzlies altercation
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