Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley asserted that sports leagues and players have turned racial injustice issues into a “circus,” placing more importance on who’s kneeling or what message is written on a player’s jersey rather than making real change.
“What’s happening now is we’re turning into a circus,” Barkley said Friday in a guest appearance on CNBC. “Instead of talking about racial equality, racial justice and economic justice, we spend all our time worrying about who’s kneeling and not kneeling, what things are being said on buses, what’s being said on jerseys. I think we’re missing the point.
“We need police reform, prison reform. Those are No. 1 and No. 2 things to focus on. We need the cops, good cops out there policing bad cops. … When we spend time focusing on what’s on the jersey, that’s gonna defeat purpose. My concern is this is turning into a circus instead of trying to do some good stuff.”
Last week, the NBA announced that players playing in the Orlando “bubble” will be allowed to wear pre-approved social justice-related messages in place of their last names on the back of their jerseys. Phrases like, “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe” and “Equality” are some examples.
Barkley, an analyst for Turner Sports, is concerned that the promotion of such social justice messages could turn off fans looking from an escape from the real world.
“We are in a divided country,” Barkley said. “Sports used to be a place where fans could go and get away from reality. Now it’s such a mixture. It’s going to be fascinating watching what happens with the fans. Fans are at a disadvantage, they’re going through the pandemic. They don’t want to see a bunch of rich people talking about stuff all the time. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer.
“People lost jobs and the last thing they want to do is turn on the television to hear arguments about stuff all the time. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the public reacts.”