Charles Barkley is pushing his ESPN luck.
The “Round Mound of Rebound,” a former NBA All-Star and current “Inside the NBA” analyst, wants to see what his employer is going to do after his viral Game 3 halftime take that rapper Cardi B should call herself “Cardi D’s” — a reference to her chest — during the broadcast of Knicks-Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
“Dan, you know I’m hoping they fire me,” Barkley told Dan Patrick on on the longtime host’s titular sports talk show. “I got six or seven years left on my contract that they know I’ve got no chance of doing. I would love for them to fire and have to pay me for the next six or seven years.
Barkley mentioned that no one from management had talked to him about the clip, but he’s got an answer ready for those who didn’t appreciate his analysis of the situation.
“People can’t take a joke?” he said, “They can kiss my ass. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten all these years, but if anybody thinks like them, they’re a fool. So if people don’t like me or don’t have a sense of humor, they can kiss my ass.”
Cardi B herself didn’t seem to mind.
When the rapper took center court and performed at halftime on Monday, the entire “Inside the NBA” crew seemed engrossed in the performance, with Barkley providing some of the colorful insight that’s earned the show Emmys.
“I don’t know if those (are) B’s,” Barkley said Monday. “They might be Cardi D’s… I’m pretty sure those aren’t B’s… She’s got the wrong initials.”
Cardi, who “Bodega Baddie” from her upcoming album, retweeted a video of Barkley’s comments.
Barkley, who retired in 2000 after 16 NBA seasons, has been a staple on “Inside the NBA” ever since.
The 63-year-old is likely not in any danger of being fired toward the end of his first year with the Worldwide Leader. He’s discussed retirement for a decade and hasn’t done so. He also spent much of this NBA season complaining about how ESPN didn’t work him enough.
Fans can expect to see him on Wednesday’s broadcast — likely with another take sure to set the internet on fire.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
