Did Charles Barkley’s criticism of San Francisco end up highlighting the problems in his own hometown? Chuck made headlines with his refusal to attend the NBA All-Star Game to avoid rat-infested San Francisco. This isn’t the first time Barkley has taken a shot at SF for some of its issues. He has always been vocal about the lifestyle and facilities in different cities he has visited. While some agreed with him, others went on to highlight the living conditions of the place where Chuck stayed.

Speaking of Cade Cunningham, Barkley said, “Listen, he’s gonna make the All-Star Game. I’m not going. I’m not going to that rat-infested place out in San Francisco.” He further added, “San Francisco is not a beautiful city! Rats. Cats… Y’all are not gonna make me like San Francisco. No. Nope, nope, nope.” Right as Barkley’s comments began to go viral, one netizen pulled out the data sheet and claimed that Chuck’s hometown reportedly ranks way below, at 44 out of 50, in the list of quality of life. “His home state ranks 44 out of 50,” the netizen wrote. 

It’s important to understand that Alabama, which has a GDP of nearly $300 billion, has had a complicated history. Recently, Alabama has been ranked among the worst 50 on the list of Best and Worst States to Retire in 2025 by Seniorly. The report was based on three categories: living cost, medical care, and the standard of living. While Alabama ranks well above at No. 5 for living costs, it is placed 44th for healthcare.

The data is derived from several federal agencies, such as the Health and Resource Services Administration. Over time, the state has made progress. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and the visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is located in one of its most populous cities, Huntsville.

But, when it comes to data on some of these basic necessities, Alabama is quite low in the rankings. However, that hasn’t stopped the Phoenix Suns legend from offering his take on the state of different cities.

Charles Barkley criticized Galveston Beach 

He has said it before. During his appearance on They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce, Barkley was asked about his opinion on Galveston Beach on whether it is a nice vacation spot. Barkley, who has been to Galveston, home to nearly 50,000 residents, before for his training camp during his playing days with the Houston Rockets, was quick to make a remark.

“I’m looking at the water, I’m like, ‘what the f–k’. Like what good is a beach when you can’t go on the beach. I mean it was crazy man. I was like there’s no sense in having a beach if you can’t go in the water but everybody was really nice there but man that dirty water coming up on the beach I’m like holy s–t,” the Philadelphia 76ers legend said.

He didn’t like the condition of the beaches. However, he was very pleased with the local hangouts, bike rides, and the people as well. It seems he had an issue with the cleanliness. Although the authorities quickly responded, stating that the beaches are regularly cleaned, Chuck hasn’t changed his mind. It’s too hard to change his opinion. Do you think Barkley is right about San Francisco?