Charles Barkley took a shot at the city of San Francisco on Sunday night, bashing it as crime-ridden on truTV’s alternate broadcast of the NBA’s 73rd All-Star Game.
During a discussion of the icy weather in Indianapolis, where the game was being played, Barkley posed a question from out of left field: “If you had the chance between being cold or being around a bunch of homeless crooks in San Francisco, which would you take?”
Over the objections of his co-commentators, the analyst added, “You can’t even walk around down there.”
Draymond Green, a power forward who, notably, plays for the Golden State Warriors, took exception, protesting that you can in fact walk around the city. “Yeah,” Barkley shot back, “with a bulletproof vest.”
Barkley’s longstanding hatred for the Bay Area is well documented, with the 11-time All Star player ripping it on air as a “hellhole” in 2013 and a “dirty-ass” city in 2022. As recently as Saturday, he made sure to note that San Francisco was not “one of the great” cities during TNT’s tip-off broadcast. “Relax,” Green snapped in response. “That’s why you’re not welcome there.”
Sunday night’s matchup between the Eastern and Western Conferences ended in the former’s record-breaking 211-186 victory. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard was named MVP after finishing with 39 points, 11 3-pointers, six assists, three rebounds, and one steal.