In the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, Carmelo Anthony had a heated moment with a Sixers fan, who apparently called him “boy”, which is known as a racial innuendo. Inside the NBA analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has chimed in on the situation and gave his honest take on what he would've done if he was in the Lakers star's shoes.
Charles Barkley said he's not sure if the ejected fan said anything worse to Carmelo Anthony, but he wouldn't get upset by someone calling him 'boy.' pic.twitter.com/62qknXMlkZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 28, 2022
“I ain't gonna get upset [if] somebody calls me boy,” Barkley said. “Come on, man. Stop tripping. Listen, I believe — that, to me, is no big deal, some guy calling me a boy.”
Former Lakers big man Shaquille O'Neal also chimed in post-game and revealed that he's heard much worst things in the past when he was still playing:
“When you're warriors like me and Chuck, that don't bother you anyway. … When you're warriors like us, that ain't gonna stop me,” O'Neal said. “Let me tell you something, brother. Playing in Texas, playing in the SEC, I heard it all. It ain't gotta be right. That ain't gonna stop me.”
Nevertheless, it was a very offensive term to use. The fan actually defended himself and claimed he said “little boy”, but Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that another supporter yelled “get in the corner, boy” and “keep shooting, boy.”
Melo finished with just nine points on the night for the Lakers. Despite the opinions of Shaq and Chuck, there is no place for that type of language in the NBA. Thankfully, he was asked to leave Wells Fargo after the incident.
Follow Us
Subscribe