In last night’s Unguarded with Rachel Nichols on CNN, NBA legend and current television pundit Charles Barkley talked about gambling, his strained relationship with Michael Jordan, the poor fandom in Miami, the bad state of NBA basketball, especially in the East and much more. In part one, he talked about the wedge between himself and MJ. Transcript follows.
On the state of basketball in the NBA right now:
On gambling:
Charles Barkley: Well, I think the two biggest issues I’ve ever had is probably gambling’ and probably drinking…I’ve probably won a million five or six times in a night. But I’ve lost a million probably 20 times. And I took a couple years off from gambling because I realized the high of those five or six times I’ve won a million doesn’t make up for the 25 — 20 to 25 times — I’ve lost a million. Because you’re so low.
Charles Barkley: I’m embarrassed. You know, Rachel, I’m a fan. I have to watch these games. And it’s– and I know people at home like, “Oh, all these old guys are hatin’ on the NBA.” But it’s just bad basketball. I mean, it’s bad basketball. The Eastern Conference, it’s ridiculous. And they’re in major markets.
Rachel Nichols: People in Miami already don’t like you; you’re gonna dig a deeper hole with this interview
Charles Barkley: I’m not digging a deeper – they’re not the – listen, those were the same fans who were leaving when they thought they had lost to the Spurs. So let’s don’t act like they’re super fans.
I do love the “in for a penny, in for a pound” approach here by Charles Barkley. Hey, go big or go home, right?
Lots of good stuff here. Can’t say I disagree at all about how completely weak the Eastern Conference is or on how apathetic Miami sports fans, especially Heat fans, truly are. Here’s more from this interview. Charles Barkley opens up about the wedge between him and Michael Jordan.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan