Stephen A. Smith has previously advised Charles Barkley to keep out of politics. But, this week, Smith praised the basketball Hall of Famer and NBA analyst for recently taking a strong social stance.
Last week, the Supreme Court ended affirmative action and declared race can no longer be a factor in college admissions, overturning long-standing programs that have benefitted Black and Latino students. In response to the controversial decision by SCOTUS, Barkley altered his will to ensure the $5 million donation he has planned for Auburn University is used to benefit Black students.
On a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the podcast host and ESPN personality praised Barkley for taking action.
“Charles Barkley is universally loved,” Smith said. “I know there’s some critics out there about him and there’s some people who chide him. And I’ll tell him to his face, he damn sure don’t need to be getting into politics, he ain’t gonna be no governor of Alabama. Okay? Stop it…we don’t need Charles Barkley as a governor. But as a basketball analyst and somebody who’s not shy in striving to bring truth to the surface, he’s a special brother. I love Charles Barkley. I loved him as a player. I love him even more as a person. I don’t have to agree with him all the time, he’s got a heart of gold.”
Smith has not shied away from politics potentially being in his own future, he just doesn’t think it’s a fit for Barkley. Nearly 15 years ago, Barkley teased a run for office, but the beloved NBA analyst more recently stated he no longer has any interest in becoming governor of Alabama.
While Barkley might not defy Smith and run for office, he won’t necessarily avoid politics altogether, as he gets set to launch a new weekly show on CNN later this year. But politics aside, Smith praised Barkley for looking out for the Black community.
“In the world that we’re living in,” Smith continued. “When you’re Black and you’re successful, I’m sorry, you have to put Black first because no one else does. Where’s it gonna leave us if we don’t look out for each other?”
“The Charles Barkleys of the world took a moment to shine a light on potential conflict that appears to be lying in wait down the road as it pertains to Black folks in this country,” Smith added.
Smith went on to predict that LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and other prominent NBA figures will follow Barkley’s lead.
