Another week, another fan crossed the line with entertainers doing their job on a stage.
In the Western Conference Finals Game 5 post-game show on May 26 for TNT’s “Inside The NBA,” Golden State Warriors fans began to throw T-shirts at Charles Barkley‘s head while he was on the air. After one fan threw another shirt that hit his head, Barkley swiftly got up and held his coffee mug. He bucked at the fans with the mug as host Ernie Johnson, Jr. asked him not to throw it.
“Chuck, sit down, man,” Johnson said.
“Nope,” Shaquille O’Neal responded, with a smile.
“Come on, Chuck,” Johnson said.
“Sit down, Chuck,” Kenny Smith said. “Sit down, Chuck.”
Barkley kept bucking at the fans while holding the mug as if he were ready to launch it at someone. He ultimately sat back down.
Charles Barkley vs. San Francisco pic.twitter.com/wALwnqippR
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 27, 2022
A fan’s clip showed what occurred before the mug threat, where Barkley threw his water on the fans after the first shirt was thrown at him.
Charles Barkley tosses water on spectators after shirt was thrown at him 👀 pic.twitter.com/KHu3APMDb7
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) May 27, 2022
Smith came to Barkley’s defense after a commercial break.
“I love the celebration, I love the general ribbing between Chuck and the fans, but I ride or die with [Barkley],” he said. “Even when he’s wrong. It took me a second to get back with everything that’s going.”
Barkley traded jabs with Warriors’ fans thoughout the series. Before Game 1 of the series, he stared at the fans and began chanting “Let’s go Mavs!”
"LET'S GO MAVS!"
Charles Barkley is trying to rile up Warriors fans 🤣pic.twitter.com/iHlP1BYdEe
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 19, 2022
When asked if he thought the Mavericks would win the series, Barkley said no, but he was rooting for them because the Warriors’ fans are obnoxious.
“I just hate their fans … I want to see these people suffer,” Barkley said.
Kenny Smith: "Why do you think the Mavs are the best team?"
Charles Barkley: "I don't think they're the best team. I just can't pick the Warriors because I hate their fans. Their fans are obnoxious… I just wanna see these people suffer."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2022
Fans began chanting “Chuck, you suck!” This was a chant that was continuous throughout the series whenever Barkley spoke. In Dallas, Barkley arrived on set riding a horse with a cowboy hat as fans cheered him on.
During Game 4 in Dallas, there was a delay due to a leak in the arena. Barkley used the moment to take a jab at the city of San Francisco.
“You know the bad thing about all this rain?” Barkley asked. “It’s not raining in San Francisco to clean off those dirty a– streets. San Francisco, it’s a great city, but all that dirtiness and homelessness — y’all gotta clean that off the streets.”
After Game 5, Warriors star Stephen Curry went on set and told Barkley he was glad to see him in San Francisco.
May 26 marked the last day of the “Inside the NBA” for the season with the Warriors headed to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years.
