NBA legend Charles Barkley is known for speaking his mind even if it lands him on hot waters at times. The Philadelphia 76ers legend has expressed his displeasure with politicians several times over the years. That was exactly the case again recently. This time, his take has come after a recent statement from the new NCAA President Charlie Baker. Amidst the exhilarating March Madness schedule, Baker’s statement and Barkley’s comments have taken the spotlight off the court.

There have been some concerns and doubts about the name, image, and likeness(NIL) deals for collegiate athletes. Recently, former Massachusetts Governor, Baker, gave his take on it, which did not sit well with Barkley.

Charles Barkley slams new NCAA President’s suggestion

Charlie Baker was named the President of the NCAA in December 2022 and assumed his position earlier this month. During a recent appearance, Baker was asked about his #1 priority, after which he talked about the NIL deals.

Baker stated that he would tackle issues around “consumer protections” for athletes and families around NIL. He also talked about educating the athletes signing the deals so that nobody gets the short end of the stick. Furthermore, he noted that he is planning to talk with lawmakers about NIL and allow politicians to potentially get involved. But Charles Barkley was not impressed with this.

The 1993 NBA MVP immediately shared his disappointment with Baker’s suggestions and ripped apart politicians in the process as well. According to a report from Fox News, Barkley said, “Did he say we’re gonna ask the politicians to help us? See, that p—es me off already. Our politicians are awful people.”

He noted that he would put a committee together comprising of people who care about the NIL, like coaches, players, and so forth. Barkley added, “We can’t ask these politicians nothing. Those people are awful people. Democrats and Republicans – they’re all crooks.” 

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If the 11-time NBA All-Star’s feelings for politicians were not clear earlier, it is clear now. Also, this was not the first time Barkley has talked about the issues around NIL.

Barkley on NIL

Charles Barkley is a huge fan of college basketball and never misses out on the NCAA tournament. Similar to last year, he has been covering March Madness this year as well. Last year, the 1991 All-Star Game MVP talked about an issue with the name, image, and likeness deals in college.

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Barkley was worried that the pay disparity between players on the same team might cause some trouble. He wondered how some players would react when they did not get good deals despite working as hard as some of their teammates who got major deals.

What do you think about Charles Barkley’s comments on Charlie Baker’s statements? Let us know in the comments section.