Charles Barkley Jan 21, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley in attendance at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Charles Barkley is going to say something controversial — love him or hate him.

In his run as an NBA on TNT analyst, Barkley has often made many bold predictions. Some of them are a bit more colorful than others. And some of them miss the mark. Well, his guarantee that the Sacramento Kings would run the Golden State Warriors off the court in Game 5, was another prediction that missed the mark.

“The Kings are gonna whoop their ass tonight,” Barkley colorfully exclaimed during TNT’s pregame show. “Guarantee it! Guarantee it! It ain’t gonna be close. Not gonna be close… The Kings are gonna blow the Warriors out tonight. GUARANTEED!”

Whether those predictions ring true or are blatantly false, those on social media are quick to either give Barkley his due or rip him for being off base. In this instance, the Kings did not whoop up on the Warriors. In fact, Golden State took care of business in a 123-116 victory on Wednesday night, securing a 3-2 series lead in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Kings led 36-33 after the first quarter and Wednesday’s game remained a back-and-forth affair until the third quarter. The Kings last led 61-60 with over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Sacramento would never lead again.

Naturally, fans made sure to give Barkley the business on social media for another prediction gone wrong.

Barkley picked the Kings to win the series, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s sticking with Sacramento. Though, based on some of his previous predictions, it may be an ominous sign for a Kings team that just recently snapped the longest-active playoff drought in professional sports.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann