In the NBA world, comments fly fast, and the clapback flies even faster. In a recent exchange, Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith turned up the heat in a war of words that started on OutKick and spilled onto Stephen A. Smith’s show. It began in May 2025 when Barkley took aim at Smith’s relentless media presence, saying, “Yo man, knock it off. Stop being on every TV show because at some point, people are going to get sick of you, and you are going to be like, ‘Yeah, I probably did too much.”
Days later, Smith fired back on The Stephen A. Smith Show, calling out Barkley by saying: “That’s my guy, but that doesn’t mean I always agree with him. And it doesn’t mean that I’m devoid of the right to call him a flaming hypocrite when it’s called upon.” He emphasized Barkley’s commercials, podcasts, and appearances on “every show with Shaq.” Well, both legends have had an ultimate media presence post-retirement. And while Barkley cautions against overexposure, his media footprint rivals that of Smith.
And SNL’s beloved David Spade recently proved it himself. On The Big Podcast with Shaq he went on the describe a skit performed by Charles Barkley and himself. The example made a striking point because SNL isn’t a regular stop for the NBA guys. Yet Barkley has hosted it four times, making him one of the most recurring athlete guests in the show’s history. So as described by Spade, the skit went like “We did a Gap Girls together where I had him play a girl that I hooked up with in like a truth or dare game and then he comes into the Gap.”
It does sound like an interesting one actually. Picture this: Charles Barkley, in a wig and dress, storming into the Gap like David Spade’s hilariously awkward ex from a truth-or-dare hookup. The sketch really cranks up the absurdity. And as hilarious it might be, both Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley dominate the NBA personality presence on television. Barkley headlines TNT’s Inside the NBA, appears in countless commercials, and has guest-hosted Saturday Night Live multiple times. Meanwhile, Stephen A. fronts ESPN’s First Take, NBA Countdown, his own Stephen A. Smith Show podcast, and even lands acting spots on General Hospital and Law & Order. They have basically transcended sports commentary, becoming full-blown media brands.
Charles Barkley Pokes Stephen A. Amid TV Overload Feud
The Knicks blew their perfect opportunity to close out the Celtics series last night. Despite Jayson Tatum being out with a ruptured Achilles tendon and holding a 3-1 lead, they got “absolutely decimated” by the reigning champs. Now, heading back to New York, Charles Barkley is sounding alarm bells not for himself, but for ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “I’ll tell you right now,” Barkley joked on Inside the NBA, “I wish I was in a room with Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee. They can’t breathe right now. They’re scared to death.”
Barkley was referring to Smith and Lee’s well-known Knicks fandom and their very real fear of another playoff collapse. The Sixers legend explained why the pressure has completely shifted: “I’m gonna tell you something man, they (Celtics) can win in New York. Because they can play free…The amount of pressure is gonna be on New York. Cause I think it’s a must-win for the Knicks, in my personal opinion. Man, it’s gonna be fun to watch that game.” His analysis suggests hard times ahead for Knicks faithful like Smith and Lee.
Barkley’s latest dig at Smith gains extra significance given their ongoing feud. Will Stephen A. Smith respond to this as well? It’ll be really interesting if he does, though.
