"I was annoyed" - Charles Barkley gets 100% real on Kevin Durant's stance on Anthony Edwards and the 'face of the league'
Charles Barkley, ever since joining TNT as a broadcaster, has never been one to be scared to share their opinion on a subject. A big reason a lot of fans enjoy watching Barkley on TNT is that he keeps things entertaining.
Kevin Durant, however, has not always been particularly fond of Barkley and his Inside the NBA panelists and has vocalized criticism of the show and Barkley specifically in the past. Now, Barkley finds himself responding to a comment made by Durant.
During a chat with the media, Durant was asked who he believes is the next face of the NBA, and he said he believed guys like Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic are all guys who have an impact on the game of basketball and who he could see as being the "face of the league"
Barkley took exception to Durant's comments and said what he believes the face of the league means on Inside the NBA.
"I saw some guys on another network talking about face of the league, and I was so annoyed. ... It started when Kevin Durant was talking about Wemby being the face of the league. ... I get so annoyed when I hear these guys; ... you don't give anybody the face of the game, you take it."
Charles Barkley mentions how players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry all took the face of the NBA from their predecessors. In Barkley's opinion, the face of the NBA is earned, not given, and no young star has earned the right to claim it yet.
Giannis Antetokounmpo roasts Charles Barkley in 2025 NBA All-Star game
Charles Barkley coached the international stars team at the 2025 NBA All-Star game. The team included superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama.
Before the game, Antetokounmpo decided to poke some fun at Barkley, saying his TV analysis doesn't matter because he would not have been able to guard Wembanyama.
"Back in the day you could not guard him, so anything you say on TV, that does not matter," Antetokounmpo said. "You never faced something like this."
Charles Barkley admits he knew he couldn't guard Wembanyama before shaking the superstar's hand.