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NBA legend-turned-TNT analyst Charles Barkley has never shied away from speaking his mind, even when it comes to taking shots at the NBA. This was the case back in 2017 when the “Inside the NBA” crew was advertising the league’s single-game NBA League Pass promotion.
In particular, Barkley and crew were promoting an upcoming game between the LA Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The special promotion offered fans the opportunity to purchase passes to watch the game for $6.99.
However, Barkley quickly questioned why it cost so much to watch a single game between two teams who weren’t even title contenders. The legend added that anyone who paid for the promo was getting ripped off.
“For just $6.99, watch the LA Lakers take on the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night on your computer, tablet, phone or connected device,” Barkley’s co-host Ernie Johnson Jr. said.
“Listen, first of all, that should be more like a $1.99,” Barkley said.
“$6.99? Come on, man, y'all are ripping people off. Come on, man. Come on. That’s a $1.99 for that game, America. If y'all pay $6.99 for that, y'all are getting bamboozled,” he added.
Johnson then joined in on Barkley’s antics. The veteran TNT host joked that he could find far better uses for $6.99 than watching the Lakers-Bucks game.
“I could think of a lot of things I could do for $6.99 that don't include the Lakers or the Bucks,” Johnson said.
“America, please don’t pay $6 for that one,” Barkley said.
Fellow NBA legend-turned-TNT host Shaquille O’Neal then chimed in, echoing a similar sentiment to Barkley. This came as the big man urged Americans to just save their money.
“Save your money, America,” O'Neal said.
Charles Barkley then cracked one last joke about the expensive promo, saying that the game should be available at the dollar store.
“That should be at the dollar store. The Bucks against the Lakers? $6.99? Come on, man. You’re talking about highway robbery. Come on, man. I ain't seen that since we stole everything from the Indians. That’s highway robbery.”
How did the Lakers and Bucks fare in the 2016-17 NBA season?
The LA Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks were two of the premier teams in the NBA during the 2022-23 season. However, this was not the case back in the 2016-17 season.
The Lakers, who were without a star player, finished just 14th in the Western Conference at 26-56. Meanwhile, the Bucks, led by then-rising star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, were a middle-of-the-pack team at 42-40 and sixth in the Eastern Conference.
So, most would probably agree that Charles Barkley was right to question why the league chose to promote the Lakers-Bucks game for such a steep price.
