Charles Barkley butchers Rui Hachimura’s name by calling him ‘Hoochiemama‘ leaving ‘Inside the NBA’ crew in splits

Charles Barkley has always been someone who can find a way to make a joke. However, it's always tough to tell if Barkley is truly messing around or not.

"This could be the best trade deadline ever," Barkley said. "Aye, Shaq, can I get a Lakers' accomplishment? You know how much I hate the Lakers, and we show them all the time. Great job getting Rui Hoochiemama."

“Great trade getting hoochiemama”

Charles Barkley was struggling to pronounce Rui Hachimura 😭 https://t.co/cwuTUWfRkm

While Charles couldn't say the name, it's still nice to see him give Rui Hachimura some respect. Barkley hates the Lakers more than anyone we will ever see. He straight up says it daily, so hearing him give them some love is certainly interesting.

Charles Barkley can't say Rui Hachimura

Hearing Charles Barkley say this, if he wasn't joking, isn't a good thing. He's an NBA analyst and should know the names of players, especially someone like Rui who has shown to be a promising player in this league.

However, Barkley is known for his malapropisms and mispronounciations.

Hachimura was traded to the Lakers on Monday and said he was excited for the opportunity. While Charles Barkley didn't seem too interested in the Lakers adding him, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was:

“We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers,” Pelinka said. “Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui’s two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often.

"We want to thank Kendrick Nunn and his family for his time as a Laker, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

The Lakers got better. While this certainly won't be the last time Barkley makes a joke, at least the Lakers got some credit from him for once.