Charles Barkley Blasts Kendrick Perkins, Claims He Has ‘ESPN Disease’

Posted on by Sam Pasfield
Charles Barkley

Kendrick Perkins last week accused MVP voters of having a racial bias against black players and there was a huge reaction that followed. Now, Charles Barkley has responded to Perkins’ freezing cold take.

Barkley explained that if there are more white voters than black voters, and only five white players have won the award in the last 30 years, then Perkins’ argument makes “zero sense.”

“I always talk about ESPN disease,” Barkley said on Altitude Sports Radio. “A lot of these guys, when they get on TV and stuff, they’re like, ‘well I’m on ESPN, I got to say something provocative.’ And you know the thing about it, you’re always gonna get some fools out there, you guys probably get some fools calling in agreeing with him! I can promise you this, I’ve never said anything on television just to get clicks, that don’t mean I’ve been right or wrong, whatever.

“But I’ve never said something like, ‘well I know people are going to react and go crazy, let me say this.’ And this is what bothers me also, man race is such a touchy subject because very few people have a pure heart. We can talk about race as much as you want to as long as you’re going to be fair and honest. But to slander this man [Jokic]. in this situation is just total BS.”

JJ Redick also called out Perkins on First Take on Tuesday morning, criticizing Perkins and the show for pushing false narratives.

 

“Stephen A. [Smith], I mean no offense to you,” Redick began. “I mean no offense to First Take. Because I think this show is extremely valuable. It is an honor to be on this desk every day. It really is, but what we’ve just witnessed is the problem with this show,” Redick started. “Where we create narratives that do not exist in reality.”

Perkins reacted to all of the backlash on Twitter in the only way he knows how.

Clearly, Perk will never change.

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