While Charles Barkley made headlines on Thursday night with his comments regarding Kendrick Perkins and ESPN’s coverage of the NBA, it was Perkins who ultimately had the last laugh.
Well, at least that’s how Kendrick Perkins sees it.
After going viral for calling Perkins an “idiot” during Inside the NBA‘s pregame coverage of Thursday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, Barkley used halftime to add insult to injury. With the bulk of his criticism directed toward ESPN’s love affair with the Lakers, the Hall of Fame power forward made note of the Knicks’ nine-point halftime lead.
“I’m not a hater. I’m just worried about people on the other network. They’re gonna be sad tomorrow. They’re gonna be sad and crying,” Barkley said while mimicking a temper tantrum. “The Lakers lost! The Lakers lost!”
Charles Barkley at Knicks-Lakers halftime: “I’m not a hater. I’m just worried about people on the other network (ESPN). They’re gonna be sad tomorrow. They’re gonna be sad and crying. (Crying noises) A Laker loss!…”
….
Ernie Johnson: “Do me a favor. Let it go…” 😂😂😂 https://t.co/18PPaS51AR pic.twitter.com/o7KJ86Mje9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
You’ll never guess what happened next.
Overcoming a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit, the Lakers forced overtime before ultimately winning the game 113-109 behind 32 points from Luka Dončić and 31 from LeBron James. That provided Perkins with an opportunity to take a victory lap, taking to X to throw the Lakers’ win back in Barkley’s face.
“‘The Idiot’ is headed on @SportsCenter to talk ALL Lakers!!!!” the former NBA center posted. “THEY said Bron and Luka couldn’t play together but their play say otherwise. THEY said we’re going to be crying in the morning talking about the Lakers. They’re WRONG AGAIN. Gotta show love to the 40 year old Bron who basically locked up KAT tonight. Carry on…”
Perkins added an #IACTUALLYWATCHBASKETBALL hashtag for good measure.
“The Idiot” is headed on @SportsCenter to talk ALL Lakers!!!! THEY said Bron and Luka couldn’t play together but their play say otherwise. THEY said we’re going to be crying in the morning talking about the Lakers. They’re WRONG AGAIN. Gotta show love to the 40 year old Bron who…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) March 7, 2025
The subtext to all of this, of course, is that Inside the NBA will be heading to ESPN airwaves next season via a licensing agreement with TNT Sports. We’ll see if Barkley and/or Perkins soften their stances toward each other once they’re both on the same network. But Thursday night’s saga certainly indicates that won’t be the case.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.