Charles Barkley has the reputation of being a man who says what he means and means what he says. Well, we’re about to find out.
This weekend, the TNT star and NBA legend made a powerful statement supporting the LGBT community when he said, “If you are gay or transgender, I love you. And if anybody gives you sh*t, you tell em Charles says ‘f**k you!’”
However, only a few days before Barkley’s expletive-laced statement of solidarity with the LGBT community, he announced that he intended to meet with the new, Saudi-backed LIV Golf about a potential role with the organization.
On The Next Round podcast, Barkley said: “They called me and asked me ‘Would I meet with them?’ And I said, ‘Yes,’” Barkley explained. “Nothing that’s imminent, I actually don’t know everything they want from me, or what they technically want me to do, but you’ve got to always look at every opportunity that’s available. So the answer to your question is, 100 percent yes, I’m going to meet with LIV.”
Why is this a problem? Well, it’s not, unless you completely ignore the fact that Saudi Arabia is arguably the most anti-gay country in the world. A nation where being a member of the LGBT community could get you prison, stoning, death, or some combination of all three. So, if Barkley truly means what he says when he proclaims that he would like to say “fuck you” to anyone who gives gay and transgender people shit. Then how could he accept a meeting with a Saudi-backed golf league? Much less take any position with such a league?
Unless, of course, he only took the meeting so he could tell Greg Norman to tell his Saudi friends to fuck off. That would be cool. Or, probably more likely, Barkley will sell out for that Saudi cheddar and prove himself to be just another in a long line of virtue-signaling hypocrites like his buddy LeBron James.
Either way, the ball is in his court.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.