Charles Barkley is absolutely right, and it's time somebody said it.
The Hall of Famer went off on Inside the NBA on Friday night, ripping critics who claim the Thunder are playing dirty against Victor Wembanyama. And you know what? Chuck didn't hold back.
"These are some of the softest fouls I've ever seen in my life," Barkley said, via video. "You got these clowns on TV talking about: 'They are gonna hurt poor Wemby.' Are you really kidding, man?"
Barkley was responding to the pearl-clutching from certain media members who've been acting like Oklahoma City is out there trying to injure the Spurs' young star. As if playing physical playoff basketball is somehow a crime.
Let me be clear: the NBA has gotten too soft.
We've gone from the Bad Boy Pistons and the Knicks-Heat wars of the '90s to a league where a hard screen gets reviewed for flagrant intent. Players used to fight through contact. Now they flop and complain to the refs.
Wembanyama is 7'4" and incredibly talented, but he's not made of glass. He's a professional athlete playing in the NBA playoffs. Physical defense comes with the territory.
The overprotection of star players is killing the game's competitiveness. Let them play. Let the defenders defend. Stop calling ticky-tack fouls every time someone breathes on a superstar.
Barkley played in an era when guys like Bill Laimbeer and Charles Oakley were out there throwing elbows. He knows what dirty basketball actually looks like. And what Oklahoma City is doing? That ain't it.
"It drives me crazy watching these shows," Barkley concluded.
You and me both, Chuck. You and me both.
