Charles Barkley ‘bored’ by NBA Playoffs

Charles Barkley gets paid a lot of money to watch the NBA Playoffs, but nobody can force him to do it with enthusiasm.

TNT aired a doubleheader Sunday night, beginning with the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers tipping off shortly before 10 p.m. ET. After Indiana’s 129-103 win over Milwaukee, Inside the NBA showed a clip of Barkley letting out a big yawn, implying he was bored by the game.

The Pacers’ 129-103 victory over the Bucks had Charles Barkley bored, and maybe even a bit sleepy if you ask Kenny Smith.

“I’m bored, brother. I’m not even gonna lie. That wasn’t even worth watching. This thing escalated quickly. It was over early.” – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/V7eg5xtTsf

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 28, 2025

“I’m bored, brother,” Barkley quickly admitted after Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal noticed he seemed sleepy. “I’m not even gonna lie. That wasn’t even worth watching… this thing escalated quickly. It was over early.”

Johnson noted the NHL Playoffs were also done for the night so Barkley couldn’t even rely on hockey to pique his interest.

“No, hockey’s on right over here,” Barkley said as he perked up and pointed to a screen off-camera.

Barkley never hides from the fact that he gets more excited for the NHL Playoffs than the NBA, even though it’s the latter that he gets paid to watch. But you won’t catch the basketball Hall-of-Famer yawning while watching a hockey game. His love for hockey even sparked the recent thought that Barkley might be happier working for the NHL on TNT than he will be with continuing Inside the NBA on ESPN next season.

Despite being an ambassador for the league, Barkley is often accused of not really loving the NBA, or at least the modern-day player and game. Admitting he’s bored during the playoffs might not do much do dispel that notion. But in Barkley’s defense, Indiana’s 129-103 blowout win was boring for just about everyone except Pacers fans.