Charles Barkley: “Sports used to be a place where fans could go and get away from reality”

Sports leagues and players have turned racial justice issues into a “circus” by focusing more on who’s kneeling or what message is written on players’ jerseys rather than real change, basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said Friday.

“I think we’re missing the point,” the former 76ers, Suns and Rockets star told CNBC. “We need police reform, we need prison reform. ... My concern is turning this into a circus instead of trying to do some good stuff.”

"My concern is turning this into a circus instead of trying to do some good stuff."

The media contributes to the "circus" by focusing on kneeling and messages on buses and jerseys, he added.

What the country really needs, he said, is "good cops out there policing the bad cops."

He pointed out that while the U. S. is a divided country, "sports used to be a place where fans could go get away from reality."

And as fans financially struggle during the coronavirus pandemic, “they don’t want to see a bunch of rich people” constantly talking about social justice issues, he said.

As more players have started to kneel for the national anthem amid Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the country, NBA players w... (Read more)

Latest News