It seems that there’s no love lost between Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins, as the two former NBA players are at odds once again.
This time, the tension arose over comments Barkley made about Steve Kerr’s coaching of Team USA during the Olympics, which Perkins found utterly misguided.
Barkley, known for his outspoken nature, recently criticized Kerr’s performance, arguing that Team USA wasn’t living up to its potential under his guidance. “They shouldn’t be tested,” Barkley said, according to Awful Announcing. “They should win. They’ve got the best team. They haven’t used their depth the right way … [Kerr] has not used this team properly.”
Perkins, now a commentator for ESPN, didn’t hold back in his response, calling Barkley’s take “asinine” on national television. Despite acknowledging Barkley’s legendary status as both a player and a broadcaster, Perkins made it clear that he believed Barkley’s criticism was completely off base.
“Look, Charles Barkley is one of the greatest power forwards to ever play the game of basketball,” Perkins conceded. “One of the greatest players to ever touch the damn basketball. And look, one of the greatest TV personalities ever. But this was just an asinine way of talking about Team USA and what’s been going on, as far as them representing our country.”
Perkins further elaborated that the global nature of basketball has evolved, with international teams rapidly closing the gap on Team USA’s dominance. His full response, which aired on ESPN, highlighted the increasing competitiveness of international teams and dismissed Barkley’s critique as outdated.
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Not one to let a slight go unaddressed, Barkley fired back during an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” where he was asked about Perkins’ remarks. Barkley’s response was characteristically blunt and unforgiving.
“First of all, don’t bring up a guy who averaged five points a game,” Barkley shot back. “I’m not gonna stoop to his level. You average five points a game, shut the hell up.”
Barkley’s jab referenced Perkins’ career average of 5.4 points per game—a stark contrast to Barkley’s impressive 22.1 points per game.
While Perkins did secure an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, his role on that team was largely as a defensive anchor and role player, a far cry from Barkley’s status as a perennial All-Star and Hall of Famer.
The feud between the two isn’t entirely new. Earlier this year, Perkins publicly criticized Barkley and his TNT co-host Shaquille O’Neal, accusing them of not actually watching games before offering their opinions.
Barkley, in turn, has taken shots at Perkins in the past, famously accusing him of having “ESPN disease,” implying that Perkins’ commentary was more about stirring controversy than providing insightful analysis.
While the substance of their current disagreement may have been rendered moot by Team USA’s ultimate success—winning their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal with a decisive victory over France—the animosity between Barkley and Perkins adds another chapter to their ongoing rivalry.
It’s clear that neither man is willing to back down, and their verbal sparring is likely to continue as long as they both have platforms to express their strong opinions.
