"Maybe he's not reading it" - Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker clowns Charles Barkley for name mockery on live TV
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker caught a stray from Charles Barkley on Thursday when the NBA legend made fun of his name. NAW clowned Barkley back on Sunday ahead of the Timberwolves' Game 4 showdown against the OKC Thunder.
Speaking to reporters after Minnesota's practice, Alexander-Walker was asked about Barkley's comments about his name on TNT's "Inside the NBA." The Timberwolves guard laughed it off while also taking a shot at "The Round Mound of Rebound."
"I thought, like in media they give them dictionaries; how they have that pronunciation thing?" Alexander-Walker said. "Maybe he's not reading it. I don't know, but my name is Nickeil Alexander-Walker."
Charles Barkley couldn't believe Nickiel was NAW's real name, baffled that someone would be named after a coin. It's unclear where Alexander-Walker's parents got his name, but unique names run in the family. His cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's real name is Shaivonte Aician.
But regardless of name origin, Alexander-Walker has been fantastic for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. He has turned into one of the best role players in the NBA, heading into free agency this offseason.
It will be interesting to see if the Timberwolves can afford to bring NAW back, as well as Naz Reid, who is also set to become a free agent. They are currently a second apron team, which means they will have salary cap restrictions this offseason. It will impact their ability to sign certain players and make trades.
Charles Barkley makes bold prediction for Game 4 of Western Conference finals
The Minnesota Timberwolves had an emphatic win in Game 3, beating the OKC Thunder 143-101 to trim the series lead to just 2-1. However, Charles Barkley warned the Timberwolves, predicting that the series would be over if they failed to win Game 4 on Monday.
"All the pressure is still on Minnesota," Barkley said. "Tomorrow is a must-win for Minnesota; it's not a must-win for OKC. All Minnesota did was get kind of back in the series. They extended it, (and) now they have to win tomorrow. ... All the pressure tomorrow is still on the Timberwolves because if they don't win tomorrow, they'll be done in Game 5."
The Timberwolves were no match against the Thunder in Games 1 and 2, with some even counting them out already. They came out firing and determined in Game 3, but it would be surprising if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company come out flat in Game 4.