When Charles Barkley compared his sex life to fouling in the NBA: "I've been kissed harder than that"
Charles Barkley played during the rough and tumble days era of the NBA. He was involved in a few of the league’s nastiest brawls in the '80s and '90s. The NBA today is just so different from those days. With the league putting a ton of protection on players, ticky-tacky fouls can sometimes be called.
The “Chuckster” couldn’t hold his frustration about the officiating during the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies playoff series last season:
“Man, give me a break, man! Every call, let’s see if it’s a flagrant. Let’s see if it’s a flagrant 1, 2.’ Yo, man, I’ve been kissed harder than that.”
"Every call, let's see if it's a flagrant...I've been kissed harder than that."
Charles Barkley on the Jordan Poole foul on Ja Morant 😂
#NBA #NBAPlayoffs
https://t.co/1DA2tfsDZK
Officials during the series were extremely careful after Draymond Green’s ejection in Game 1. Green, who has a history of flagrant fouls, grabbed Brandon Clarke’s jersey before yanking him down to the floor.
The original call was just a Flagrant 1, but after reviewing the play, the referees ejected Green as the foul was upgraded to Flagrant. 2.
Draymond Green denied that he intended to hurt Clarke but knew he was going to be eventually ejected because of his reputation. Charles Barkley, however, sided with the referees and explained how the sequence of the incident happened.
The ejection in Game 1 set the tone for the rest of the series. Memphis vowed to match Golden State’s physicality the rest of the way.
In Game 2, Dillon Brooks took a swipe at Gary Payton II while the latter went for a layup. “GPII” landed on his elbow and broke it. Brooks’ foul was even more obviously dangerous than the one Green committed in Game 1.
: @BleacherReport ICYMI: Dillon Brooks was ejected early in the 1Q for a flagrant 2 foul on Gary Payton II.
🎥: @BleacherReport
https://t.co/SI5aX2ihiD
Steve Kerr told the media in the postgame that Brooks “broke the code.” The tense beginning of the series had only gotten more heated.
With back-to-back ejections, game officials were even more conscious of fouls. It reached a point where almost every foul was reviewed. Charles Barkley just couldn’t stand what he was seeing.
Jordan Poole’s foul on Ja Morant ultimately set off Charles Barkley
Games 1 and 2 of the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies semifinal series last season had ejections. Game 3 continued the trend as Grizzlies forward Kyle Andersen was also sent back to the locker room.
The game was delayed for a long time as the referees simply wanted to get every call right, particularly with hard fouls. Jordan Poole’s foul on Ja Morant, where the Warriors shooting guard grabbed and yanked Morant’s knee was Charles Barkley’s tipping point.
“Chuck” agreed that it wasn’t flagrant but Morant eventually left the game and did not play the rest of the series. The All-Star guard posted and then deleted a tweet that said:
“Broke the code”
Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee.
(via @JaMorant) https://t.co/9XhvkPfYxG
This was in reference to Steve Kerr’s accusation of Dillon Brooks.
Charles Barkley was adamant that fouls should be carefully called, but not to the point where it grinds down the game. Back then, Barkley had several bruising, if not bloody, battles with Bill Laimbeer, Karl Malone and others. At times, all they got was a warning from the referees.
Charles Barkley has a point. But it doesn’t make the officials’ jobs any easier as they will have to walk a tightrope every game. Unless the rules go back to the ‘80s and ‘90s, reviews will be a part of NBA life.