Adam Silver introduced the NBA Cup to spice up the boring months of the regular season. This year, group stage games saw over 40 million people tune in, marking a 90% increase from last season. The $500,000 cash incentive and bright lights of Las Vegas have turned the in-season tournament into a huge success. However, Charles Barkley isn’t a fan.

The NBA Hall of Famer doesn’t see why the NBA Commissioner had to entice players to compete ‘harder’ by filling their pockets. As you know, the NBA Cup prize is an additional bonus for players. The further they progress in the knockout stages, the more money each player earns. Barkley finds that approach to be “embarrassing”.

“To have to pay these guys extra money to make them play other games – they should play basketball because they’re well-compensated to play basketball,” Barkley said on Tom Tolbert’s YouTube show. “To do an in-season tournament to make them extra money, come on, man. That’s a little bit ridiculous.”

Well, those comments have put Charles Barkley under the microscope. The first attack came from the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver. He didn’t touch upon the legendary forward’s NBA Cup comments. Rather, his praise for NBA on Prime’s league coverage was a slight dig at other NBA shows that offer shallow coverage around the game.

Silver said, “I think you [Prime Video crew] do a great job educating other fans about the game. That, I would say, has frustrated me in the past about some coverage when it’s reduced to one side wanted it more, this side played harder.”

Inside the NBA does offer some analysis about the way the game went. It’s a panel that comprises accomplished NBA greats. However, they seldom go into depth. But let’s be honest, the crew’s dynamic and their various skits are what make Inside the NBA such a popular product in the community.

But Barkley also caught some heat from the fans for his NBA Cup comments.

Charles Barkley termed “jealous” over NBA Cup criticism

NBA fans felt Barkley’s criticism of the NBA Cup didn’t come from him doubting the modern players. “He’s just a jealous piece of s–t. Mad that players today are making so much money,” one fan mentioned. That comment alludes to the growth of the league. Nowadays, players are signing extensions worth $300+ million. For context, Barkley’s career-earnings didn’t surpass $50 million.

But the former 76ers star has never been envious. His intentions were to point out that players are earning stupendous amounts to play basketball. They don’t need additional incentive. Still, it didn’t stop fans. One of them questioned, “Why do these old players hate on everything new?”

The truth is, the NBA Cup wasn’t designed to provide players with a reason to compete. It was done keeping in mind that the league’s viewership dropped in these months. Charles Barkley failed to understand that. One fan rightly pointed it out. “I think the cup is a good way to keep the audience engaged in the regular season,” they said.

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The money does compel players to compete as if a championship ring is on the line. But for the stars, half a million doesn’t make a large difference. However, what about a rookie who has just entered the league? “Some of the guys on these teams are on small contracts only for a year or 2, let them make their bread,” a fan mentioned.

Just look at the winners from this season. The Knicks’ backup center, Ariel Hukporti, would have made just under $2 million this season. But since they won the NBA Cup, he gets an additional $530,000. For such players, it’s life-changing money. Karl-Anthony Towns has noted that he will donate the entire purse to the Dominican Republic, showing that there’s no personal greed for money.

The NBA Cup managed to create intrigue for the regular season while also providing players with a purpose to appear in these games. All in all, it’s been a win.