Few TV personalities are as funny as Charles Barkley, who co-headlines TNT’s Inside the NBA. The media pundit consistently manages to generate humor through his one-of-a-kind takes on sports and his humorous quips. Of course, he also makes people laugh when he doesn’t intend to. While Barkley says wild and funny things, his lack of awareness of a topic can also generate humor. On that note, during a recent episode of the sports talk show, the concept of a group chat had to be explained to Barkley, and his co-stars roasted him for it.
Apparently, during a break from a live broadcast, someone had to assist Charles Barkley with his phone. On air, co-host Kenny Smith confirmed that Barkley asked how someone could text two people simultaneously. Barkley subsequently asserted that he’s “not good with technology” while his co-anchors continue to humorously admonish him for not knowing how to do it. Lucky for you, there’s video of the discussion, and you can check it out in the TikTok post down below:
@nbaontnt ♬ original sound - NBA on TNT
I have to say that I understand that not everyone is technologically savvy. However, I would’ve assumed that even “Chuck” would’ve been in the know when it came to text threads. Of course, it’s honestly nothing to truly be embarrassed about, as everyone operates at their own pace. Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get some level of pleasure out of seeing the former NBA MVP’s colleagues throw playful jabs at him. Heck, even the mostly reserved Ernie Johnson got in on the fun a bit.
This isn’t the first time that Charles Barkley’s technological prowess – or lack thereof – has been a topic of discussion on Inside. Earlier this year, the group talked about Barkley’s presence on Instagram. During that chat, he revealed that he didn’t understand what it meant to “slide” into someone’s DMs. It goes without saying that this was a very interesting conversation.
While the conversations mentioned thus far have seen the Round Mound of Rebound get roasted, there have been instances this season in which he’s gotten the last laugh. One of those instances was when he humorously referenced TNT organizing Inside the NBA’s move to ESPN next year. The ex-Houston Rocket suggested that with his bosses having kept the show alive, it was time to “go back to kissing ass.” Panelists were also left in stitches after Barkley nodded at Jay-Z’s legal issues on air.
Quite frankly, I’m just glad that fans will still be able to watch more of Charles Barkley’s antics for the foreseeable future. Before ESPN and TNT reached their historic deal for the basketball-centric show, it appeared that Inside the NBA would be canceled. An even greater surprise came this past summer when Barkley announced he’d retire from broadcasting following the 2025-2025 TV season. However, he eventually walked back the retirement comments, revealing that he’d opted to remain with TNT Sports.
So fans still have plenty of opportunities to hear the legendary Philadelphia 76er talk about sports, make jokes and learn about technology. Believe me when I say it’s definitely likely that the third element mentioned will come into play again. And, when it does, I’ll certainly enjoy seeing how it plays out.