The NBA All-Star weekend recently wrapped up, and it was a slam dunk for the league. From Matt McClung’s gravity-defying dunks to surprisingly decent defense in the All-Star game, the weekend had it all. Even Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama‘s antics in the skills challenge added to the fun. The result? It was a massive win for the NBA. They racked up a billion views across social media. This record-breaking engagement signals a positive trend for the league, especially after some challenging years.

It seems like the NBA is finally back on track. Even though there are voices that are discontent about the event, stats reveal it to be a hit. But amidst the slam dunks and three-pointers, a different kind of highlight emerged. Kevin Hart, famous comedian and actor, took center stage as the emcee. However, the spotlight wasn’t entirely kind. Some of the WNBA’s biggest stars turned the tables on Hart.

Even Charles Barkley didn’t hold back as he rebutted Hart’s joke against him. Chuck shared the hilarious moment on his recent Instagram post which showed, Hart making a joke that he couldn’t hear Barkley “over the sweat on his lip.” The former basketball power forward was quick to bite back with, “If you were taller, you could hear.”

He even bent his back forward and jokingly asked, “My team is going to win, Kevin. Can you hear me now?” making fun of Hart’s height. The latter didn’t seem to take it to heart as he downplayed the joke saying, “That’s really original Charles.” Barkley took the chance to once again share the moment as he once again targeted Hart asking, “Hey @kevinhart4real can u hear me now?”. It appears Barkley had a lot of fun this time at the event. Well aside from having fun, he also took the time to perform a great gesture for the city of San Francisco as well.

Charles Barkley sets aside his misgivings and offers a helping hand

Charles Barkley’s relationship with San Francisco is complicated. He’s often criticized the city, even calling it “rat-infested” he even initially vowed to boycott the 2025 All-Star Game there. However, against all odds he showed up but his appearance was met with boos. He even tried to compliment the city while mentioning its homeless population. This didn’t go over well, unsurprisingly, after all, he’d previously called bashed the town for its “homeless crooks”.

Despite the friction, Barkley took action. He visited Glide Memorial Church and donated $250,000. This act of generosity caught the eye of Warriors owner Joe Lacob. “I don’t know how we did that because that guy kills us,” Lacob admitted. He acknowledged Barkley’s constant criticism. “He always predicts we’re going to lose, he trashes the city,” Lacob said. Lacob expressed gratitude for Barkley for this “very nice gesture of his.”

Lacob also credited Mayor Daniel Lurie, he said Lurie worked on Barkley. “He told me he was going to work on [Barkley],” Lacob recalled. He admitted it was a tough task. “Good luck, that’s going to be a hard job,” he’d said to Lurie. But Lurie succeeded. “I just think he did a great job.”

Barkley’s actions speak louder than his words. While his comments might not win him fans, his philanthropy makes a real difference. It seems even Chuck can change his tune. Perhaps this All-Star weekend changed his perception of San Francisco. Lacob believes the city is back he also said people were surprised by how much they enjoyed the city. It appears that the event might have been a way of turning over a new leaf for the city. Many are also looking forward to the Golden State Warriors’ performance now. In the meantime do share your thoughts about All-Star Weekend. Did it live up to its expectations or do you think it needs a rework?