Following the Cleveland- Atlanta game, where the Cavs broke the record for most 3 pointers made in a game , TNT Analyst Charles Barkley recommended this strategy for Atlanta : “The Atlanta Hawks got to take somebody out. Take ‘em out.” This resulted in a tweet from former New York Knick (among other teams) Charles Oakley: “Charles Barkley, you better stop talking s*** about Cleveland you was never tough you hide behind TNT.”
Part of me wishes I could turn the clock back 20 years to see these two settle this on the court.
Alas, this is not an option. So which Charles is correct in their argument?
Let’s dive into Barkley comments to get a deeper understanding. It doesn’t appear Barkley was advocating actually INJURING a fellow player; athletes use their bodies to support their livelihoods and no athlete, professional or amateur, would want to take that opportunity away from someone.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that what Barkley meant was the Hawks need to get more physical to break Cleveland’s rhythm and play with toughness. Nevertheless, if Atlanta wants to win, guarding the 3 – point line and moving the Cavs off their shooting spots are at the top of the list. Unnecessary fouls and/or technical fouls are not going to beat the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
For the record, someone might want to inform Barkley that today’s NBA is nothing like MLB, where unwritten rules run amok. Retaliation and “sending a message” doesn’t jive these days, bruh.
Back in the day, as the old timers say, things were addressed differently. If a baller drove to the basket on a team, said team would hit him hard and fast, so the baller would reconsider driving to the rim on the next possession. Today, players can jump into a defender to create contact, resulting in two free throws. Fouls equal potential points, which no one can spare during a championship run.
Charles Oakley (full disclosure: one of my all-time favorite Knicks) is a Cleveland native, naturally expected to defend anything Cleveland. His statement doesn’t need much analysis. Heck, I’m not messing with Cleveland. Ever. However, how ironic is it that one of the toughest, meanest, bad – ass Knicks would be the one checking Sir Charles’ comments?
I would bet my left arm that Oak would be exactly THE GUY to send a message if he were on the Hawks squad today. I don’t know if hypocrisy is the right word, but here’s another word for Charles versus Charles : hilarious.
Barkley always shoots from the lip, while Oakley never said much, but carried a big stick. Neither one would let the Cavs rain 3’s and set a record with 25 in a game, back in their prime. Both would take it upon themselves to disrupt Cleveland’s shooting rhythm at any cost, no doubt about it.
Maybe the two Charles’s have more in common than name alone?
