Charles Barkley recalled his short-lived feud with former Lakers star Kobe Bryant on TNT's “Inside the NBA” retrospective Thursday night.
Never one to shy away from offering blunt assessments of both players and teams as an analyst, Barkley and his co-stars discussed the aftermath that occurred, following his criticism that Kobe Bryant had been “selfish” in his approach to the game seven match between the Lakers and Suns in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
With the Lakers on the precipice of blowing a 3-to-1 series advantage heading into the final frame of the game, Kobe Bryant infamously took only a single shot attempt in the fourth quarter as the team faded against a surging Suns squad.
Since Kobe had never hesitated to shoot the ball in the past, Barkley viewed his inaction as an attempt to send a signal to the Lakers front office that he needed more talent on the roster, even if it came at the expense of the team's success in the game.
Not surprisingly, Kobe Bryant had some thoughts. (Video Via NBA on TNT)
Chuck was critical of Kobe in Game 7 of the 2006 WC First Round.
Mamba let him know how he felt. #TheInsideStory pic.twitter.com/OVX6QTwSkf
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 5, 2021
While Barkley admitted that criticizing players can be difficult, even if it is never personal, he did reveal that the confrontation with Kobe Bryant was more challenging than most, given Kobe's reaction.
According to Barkley's retelling of the story, the former league MVP returned to his hotel room following the show's completion, only to receive multiple NSFW text messages from Kobe Bryant, challenging him on his comments post-game.
Though Barkley never backed down from his analysis–and clearly neither did Kobe–the two were eventually able to patch things up following Bryant's appearance on the show the following season.
Given how long we all know Kobe could hold grudges for, it wouldn't be surprising if the all-time great never fully let this one go.
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