feature-image

Getty

feature-image

Getty

All bets were off when the TNT Crew went to New York for March Madness. Charles Barkley, very specifically, was not keen on traveling with Kenny “The Jet” Smith. But that was for unrelated reasons. It seems to be spilling over at Inside the NBA. Chuck, annoyed by the Wildcats’ woes, started nitpicking Smith’s comments.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

The #3 school suffered a 76-80 upset against the underdogs at Oakland much like Barkley was sure was going to happen. He just didn’t like his co-host downplaying it. To be fair though, all Kenny Smith did was present his professional opinion on TNT. “The Kentucky-Oakland game, was I think a dynamic loss, in terms of expectations of fans around the country. So that was probably big.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Chuck picked on one word and nagged him for it. “Probably? Good job, Captain Obvious. Captain Obvious over here. That was a dynamic loss by Kentucky, Ernie.

That was a dynamic game but not so much for Kentucky. Golden Grizzlies’ star, Jack Gohlke burst out in the first 20 minutes to make seven 3-pointers. He ended the game at 32 points, and with 10 3-pointers in one game, he was close to breaking Jeff Fryer’s 1990 NCAA Tournament record.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile Barkley had warned Kentucky to move out of the Anthony Davis era and make a “deep run,” before the game. When they didn’t, he repeated a 2017 comment he made about the Wildcats but this time to taunt them.Kentucky playing with all these McDonald’s All-Americans and there’s Oakland playing with guys who grew up eating at McDonalds,” Chuck said as #3 Kentucky was touted as a squad of sharpshooters.

ADVERTISEMENT

Barkley came ready with mean taunts. Some of it was reserved for Kenny.

Chuck isn’t mad for Kenny this March

Last week, Barkley was not enthusiastic when Ernie said the Inside Guys are heading to New York. It’s not March Madness that made him less enthused. It’s Kenny’s Smith.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Caught Hilariously Cheating on Live TV, Charles Barkley Flips The Script With Bizarre Advice

ADVERTISEMENT

Whether it’s true or not, Kenny played right into it, even demonstrating the off-key ‘Smith Family’ summoning call which is every animal sound he could make. Barkley said that Kenny’s family really does “crawl out of the woodwork” when he summons them and he’s not looking forward to that.

Maybe Chuck has heard the Smith Family holler too many times this week and took out his irritation on Kenny. Kenny took it and stood by his opinion. He might be the only one who thought Kentucky was dynamic leading up to that upset today.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Oprah Winfrey Admits Facing Charles Barkley-Like Body Struggles, Reveals Her Saving Grace

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Caroline John

3,483 Articles

Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, specializing in league comparables. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Communication and brings eight years of experience to the sports desk. Caroline made a mark in NBA media by covering the life of Shaquille O’Neal, which led to an exclusive interview with Josh Halpern, CEO of Shaq’s Big Chicken franchise. Her coverage was also personally highlighted by Shaq, who shared her article about his DJ Diesel persona and rapper GAWNE on Instagram. Drawn to the philanthropic work of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal, Caroline started following the NBA for its character both on and off the court, and has since become a respected voice covering many of the league’s biggest names. Her reporting stands out for accuracy, recognition from industry figures, and a strong connection with readers. Away from sports, Caroline is an avid reader, finding equal passion in books and storytelling.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Aakash Nair

ADVERTISEMENT