Lakers coach JJ Redick addressed the issue last month when he said the ever-critical media may be partly to blame for the NBA’s declining viewership this season.
Charles Barkley, a basketball Hall of Famer and longtime analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” appeared to take Redick’s remarks personally and launched his own tirade two weeks later.
As Barkley and his colleagues presented highlights of the Boston Celtics’ 118-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, host Ernie Johnson highlighted the high number of three-point shot attempts (96) during the game. match.
Barkley sarcastically remarked that it was his fault, saying, “I heard JJ Redick say something about me.”
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Johnson took the bait and asked, “Did he specifically mention your name, or was he just talking about the people on TV?” Barkley took the lead, talking about Redick as the Celtics-Timberwolves highlights continued to roll.
“He said we’re the reason people haven’t looked at this lousy product that we have,” Barkley said. “Yeah, us, like us, over there, making 100 three-pointers a night. JJ, JJ, you take on the king, you better not miss. ‘Cause I can get you, bro , because I don’t forget, I have your… remember, I have your Lakers games.
Barkley continued to discuss Redick and the Lakers (19-14), mentioning the two men who preceded Redick as the team’s head coach.
“You can’t hide their flaws. You’re just a dead man walking,” Barkley said. “They got rid of Frank Vogel, who did well. They got rid of Darvin Ham, who did well. You got there thinking you were going to make a difference with the same ugly girl you were dating.”
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At this point, Johnson resumed commentary on the highlights displayed on the screen, but Barkley, unfazed, continued talking about himself, much to the amusement of fellow analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
“He came in thinking, ‘I can make this work.’ Damn, you can’t dress that pig. The Lakers stink, man. “We’re the reason the ratings are down. We’re the reason, like if we were playing… Hey, look, if Shaq and I were playing, the ratings would be down. But honestly, if Shaq and I were playing, we’d be like the third or fourth best players on this Lakers team, Chuck, get in the game, get in the game!” Fucking bombs there. But it’s Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham’s fault.
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Johnson finally asked, “How did we get from Minnesota to Boston?”
Barkley responded, “Because all these people who shoot 100 three-pointers say we’re the reason the ratings are down. Thirty seconds until another three-point shooting contest!”
The Celtics lead the league this season with an average of 50.6 three-point attempts per game, while the Timberwolves are sixth with 40 attempts per game.
Sports Media Watch reported in mid-December that an average of 1.4 million viewers were watching NBA games on ABC, ESPN and TNT this season, a 19% decline from last year. Barkley and the “Inside the NBA” team are among those who have criticized players around the league for the number of three-point shot attempts.
Redick, who worked for ESPN as an NBA analyst from 2021 until being hired by the Lakers in June, was asked about the declining ratings during a news conference before Los Angeles’ game against the Sacramento Kings on December 19, providing possible explanations before turning to the media.
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“I don’t think we — and by we, I mean I was a part of it, we as national partners — did a good job of telling stories, celebrating the game,” Redick said. “If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the TV that the product is boring, I’m not going to watch the product. And that’s exactly what’s happened over the last 10 to Last 15 years. I don’t know why.
He added: “The league is more talented and more skilled than it was 18 years ago when I was drafted. That’s a fact. There are more great players. There are more players. “Great teams. … We don’t have anyone willing to acknowledge that it’s a great game, and we should talk about it and celebrate it positively. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t criticize it. .But we should celebrate it. do.
The NBA has received positive ratings in recent weeks. Nielsen reports that the league’s five games on Christmas Day averaged 5.25 million viewers, an 84% increase from last year. The Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors that night averaged 7.91 million viewers, reaching a peak of approximately 8.45 million viewers.
With TNT’s departure from broadcasting the NBA at the end of this season, “Inside the NBA” will move to ESPN but will continue to be produced by TNT.
