Charles Barkley did not appreciate seeing LeBron James practicing his golf swing on the court during the middle of the national anthem ahead of his Philadelphia 76ers debut earlier this month.
President Donald Trump blasted James after the incident, calling him a "total disgrace," and while Barkley made it a point to say he doesn't care what the President has to say about anything, the two see eye to eye when it comes to James disrespecting the anthem.
"I don’t pay what President Trump says any attention, first and foremost, at all," Barkley began when asked about the moment on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "But I thought that was very disrespectful, practicing your golf swing in the middle of the anthem. I always stand for the anthem. I just think it’s important. We live in the greatest country ever where you can always protest, but I think you have to be very careful with the anthem."
While Barkley mentioned always being allowed to protest, it doesn't appear that James was protesting anything in this instance, but instead simply not being able to stand still and disrespecting the anthem in the process.
"I look at it, I'm supporting the troops when I stand for the national anthem," Barkley continued. "I'm standing there for free speech, so even though I believe in free speech, I think you have to be very careful with the anthem. I always stand for the anthem. I think it's important, and I think it's significant."
James' faux golf swings in the middle of the anthem have understandably drawn attention and criticism, but perhaps the most disrespectful stunt he's pulled during 'The Star-Spangled Banner' came back in 2023.
As a late arrival to his courtside seats at USC to watch his son, Bronny James, play for the Trojans, LeBron made his entrance during the middle of the anthem, with a hat on, and sat in his seat while the rest of the arena was standing and showing respect to the United States.
Ernie Johnson will retire as host of "Inside the NBA" after the season, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer announced in a social media video on Wednesday.
Johnson, 70, will continue covering the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for CBS and Turner Sports.
The announcement generated two separate discussions across the industry. One about Johnson’s legacy. The other concerns the obvious. His departure creates an opening on one of the most prestigious and popular shows in sports media.
Speaking to sources Wednesday, no one was confident in who would succeed Johnson just yet. For one, "Inside the NBA" remains a TNT production, despite moving to ESPN airwaves last season. Skydance Corporation, which owns TNT and CBS, controls the show. ESPN does not.
That said, ESPN will likely influence the decision. Malika Andrews, ESPN’s current NBA host, is a plausible candidate.
Andrews hosted the network’s NBA Finals coverage before the deal with "Inside the NBA." She currently hosts ESPN’s daily basketball show, "NBA Today," and its pregame show, "NBA Countdown."
The question is whether Andrews can preserve the show’s signature off-the-cuff identity. She has struggled in the past when covering topics involving serious issues.
She previously teared up on set while discussing the Supreme Court’s decision to return abortion laws to the states and falsely claimed that the Constitution prohibits doing so. It does not. Andrews also made false claims about Kyle Rittenhouse carrying weapons across state lines. Not ideal.
Adam Lefkoe is the other candidate frequently mentioned by sources. Lefkoe is a TNT employee who previously hosted a Tuesday edition of "Inside the NBA" and has filled in for Johnson in recent years. He also has a rapport with Shaquille O’Neal, who will remain an analyst on the show. Lefkoe and O’Neal co-host "The Big Podcast."
After Lefkoe and Andrews, opinions were mixed regarding other candidates. Qualified NBA hosts are not simply waiting for an opportunity.
Most of ESPN’s top hosts are occupied elsewhere. Mike Greenberg and Scott Van Pelt host NFL pregame shows. Rece Davis hosts both the football and basketball editions of "GameDay."
Laura Rutledge works across the NFL and college football and should be in line to succeed Van Pelt in the coming years. Each would be a quality replacement for Johnson, but for one reason or another, they may not want the job.
Another potential factor is Charles Barkley.
Barkley has said this will also be his final season on the show. However, he has made that claim many times before, only to return the following year. Barkley’s departure could dramatically change the show’s style.
Former ESPN commentator Jalen Rose is reportedly his likely replacement, as disappointing as that may be.
The father of Golden State Valkyries star Tiffany Hayes wasn't shy about blaming the WNBA for playing a potential championship-clinching game at 12:30 p.m. on a Thursday.
"I think it’s the league’s fault," Renard Hayes told OutKick outside State Farm Arena before Game 6 between his daughter’s Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream.
"It’s the league’s fault. And pretty much the Atlanta organization."
He wasn’t alone in questioning the arrangement. Fans outside the arena described taking time off work, pulling children out of school and traveling hours to attend a game originally scheduled for 8 p.m.
The WNBA moved Game 6 to the afternoon to accommodate a doubleheader at State Farm Arena, where the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks were scheduled to host the Cleveland Cavaliers that night. Golden State entered Thursday with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to win its first championship.
Hayes, who said he lives in Florida, could make the early start work, but he expressed concern for the people who couldn’t.
"It’s kind of a shame about how they couldn’t handle the situation better or couldn’t be more prepared," he said.
For Golden State fans watching in California, the game’s start time was 9:30 a.m.
"Probably have to take a break off work, take the day off or whatever like that," Hayes said. "But for me, I’m good with it. I’m okay with it."
He pointed to Golden State’s experience relocating a playoff game to San Jose last season as an example of having an alternative ready. He also questioned whether the Dream’s roughly 3,500-seat regular home, Gateway Center Arena, could have accommodated the demand for a Finals game.
Moving to State Farm Arena created room for more fans, but moving the start time created another obstacle to getting them there.
"We came from four hours away, so we’re not too thrilled. But we’re here," one Dream fan told OutKick, adding that the child accompanying her was out of school for the game.
Another Atlanta fan said she had been able to get off work, but recognized that others wouldn’t have that flexibility.
"For all of the other Dream fans, it’s not ideal," she said. "We would have rather played at nighttime."
Another fan declined to appear on camera, telling OutKick she had called out sick and didn’t want her boss to see her at the game.
A father attending with his wife and two children offered a clarification after his interview: "We’re responsible parents, we swear!"
He said the children had attended school for two hours before leaving and completed all their work.
Several fans questioned why the NBA’s regular-season game received the evening slot while the WNBA’s potential championship clincher was played during the workday.
"We should have been prime time," one Dream fan said.
The father who brought his family called the arrangement "kind of disrespectful to the Dream," pointing out that the Hawks were only beginning their season.
The Hawks agreed to move their game to 8 p.m. to accommodate the doubleheader. But fans who spoke with OutKick argued that the Finals should have received priority.
One Valkyries supporter said the women deserved more respect and should have gotten the prime-time slot. Still, he welcomed the opportunity to play in a much larger arena.
"It’s awesome that it’s being played at State Farm Arena rather than a 3,500-seat arena," he said. "So with that being in mind, I think that’s a win regardless."
Not everyone objected to the early start.
One Dream fan said she was fine with it and encouraged people who couldn’t attend to support the team wherever they were. A Valkyries fan who had arrived from San Francisco at 6 a.m. dismissed the suggestion that she might be tired.
"No. We’re ready," she said.
The league announced the scheduling change Monday, three days before Game 6, with tickets going on sale that afternoon.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised the sellout crowds at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 and emphasized the opportunity to accommodate thousands more fans. The league also announced plans for a coordinated promotional push with its broadcast partners to build awareness of the new start time.
OutKick asked the WNBA why it chose the afternoon start, what alternatives it considered and whether it was concerned about the potential impact on viewership. The league has not responded.
USA Sports, which is airing the game on USA Network, acknowledged that the afternoon start wasn’t ideal for attracting a television audience.
"The daytime window isn’t perfect from a TV audience perspective, but the league had to make a really difficult decision taking a lot into account across multiple stakeholders," a USA Sports spokesperson told OutKick in a statement.
"What was important to us was to ultimately be a good partner and to be part of the solution here."
The fans outside State Farm Arena found ways to make Thursday work. Some took time off, and others brought children who otherwise would have been in school.
Hayes was happy to be there for his daughter, but that didn’t mean he thought the league had handled the situation well.
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