Richard Jefferson blasts Charles Barkley for doing a bad job 'selling' the NBA
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ESPN NBA analyst Richard Jefferson didn’t mince words his criticisms of Charles Barkley and the style of commentary on shows like Inside The NBA. Jefferson came to the defense of Lakers coach JJ Redick, whom Barkley harshly criticized his take on NBA coverage.
"If you turn on any show and the people that are hosting the show, pregame, halftime are saying they don't want to watch this, this is trash, that is their opinion, I support their opinion," Jefferson said during a recent discussion on his Road Trippin’ podcast. "But if your job is to then sell the product, you are doing a s—ty job selling the product. That's the end of it."
Jefferson's comments address a trend he sees in basketball commentary—one that leans into mocking and ridiculing NBA players for entertainment value. While he acknowledges that opinions differ and humor has its place, he takes issue with the negative tone of analysts such as Charles Barkley.
"You are an ambassador of the game, anyone in this category, your job is to elevate," Jefferson continued. "You can do it in a way and be like, 'These guys are bums, this game is trash,' that's fair, that's their opinion. To Charles Barkley, they're probably bums. He's an MVP. But don't tell me that you are also selling the product."
In his comments, Redick didn’t directly mention Barkley and Inside The NBA but described his thoughts on the effect such commentary has on fans' perception of the league.
"If I'm a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television the product sucks, well I'm not going to watch the product, and that's really what has happened over the last 10–15 years," Redick said in a late December post-game press conference. "I don't know why, it's not funny to me, nothing is entertaining to me, this game should be celebrated."
Redick went further, pointing out that the current NBA is filled with more talent and balance than it had nearly two decades ago when he was in the league.
The critiques sparked debate among NBA fans, many of whom are accustomed to the light-hearted banter of Barkley and the Inside The NBA team. While some enjoy the humor and supposed unfilteredness and authenticity, many other NBA fans have sided with Jefferson and Redick in calling for a shift in tone—one that emphasizes celebrating the game and its players rather than diminishing them.
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