If TNT’s and ESPN’s analysts hashed it out in the ring, it would look like this. In this corner at 290lbs, 6’6″ two-time Olympic gold medalist, with a career PPG of 22.1 is TNT’s returning titan, The Round Mound of Rebound, and unfiltered, Charles Barkley. In ESPN’s corner is 6’10”, 270lbs 2008 NBA champion with Shaqtin A Fool vibes, Kendrick Perkins who averaged 5.4 points throughout his career. Who has the upper hand? At least Barkley firmly believes he does. This time they aren’t clashing about who watches games closely. They had an indirect back-and-forth about Team USA.

It started when Barkley was critical of Team USA barely maintaining its unbeaten record. Chuckster believes a stacked roster like that shouldn’t be squeaking to a win as it did in most games. They were behind by 17 points for the majority of the second game against Serbia till Stephen Curry got them past the finish line with a series of threes. It was not impressive enough for Dream Team’s top scorer who said, “[Team USA] shouldn’t be tested,” on ESPN radio.

Touching on Jayson Tatum’s lack of minutes on the Olympic stage, Barkley said the team’s strengths weren’t utilized the ‘right way.’ Again, he blamed Steve Kerr for his management of player rotation. In a plot twist, it was Kendrick Perkins who came to Kerr’s defense on First Take.

After cushioning the blow with some praise for Barkley’s standing, Perkins straight up said, “But this was just an asinine way of talking about Team USA and what’s been going on, as far as them representing our country.” It was part of a longer rant and he admitted that he’s been wrong about Tatum before but he doesn’t agree with Barkley regardles.

Dan LaBatard almost brought it up when Barkley was back on his show yesterday. But Chuckster sassed, “First of all, listen, don’t bring up  a guy who has five points a game.” Ouch, where’s the burn unit? Even after that Barkley had a generous sprinkling of salt on that wound. “I’m not going to stoop to his level, you average five points a game, shut the hell up!” Once he thinks he’s silenced Perkins, Barkley proceeded to double down on his comments about Team USA.

Chuck vs Perk, round 2

Now it probably doesn’t sting as much as we’d think. Perkins has admitted that he’s nowhere near Sir Charles’ HoF legacy. He does his best to make up for it by keeping it real on First Take. Which is why this is no feud. ESPN and TNT’s analysts enjoy a side sport of nerves.

During the NBA playoffs, the two factions clashed over Perkins’ dismissive attitude of Tatum and Barkley’s animosity for the Knicks. They traded hilarious barbs where even Shaquille O’Neal and the TNT crew gave Perk the Shaqtin a Fool treatment. In response to the Celtics champ stating Shaq and Chuck don’t watch NBA games, “I ain’t gonna even give no love to no guy that averaged five points a game. Five points a game gonna call me out?”

If that wasn’t mean enough, Barkley and O’Neal punch Perkins’ face on a sandbag and Perk responded with more trash talk. So the Olympics might be over, but Chuck vs Perk is definitely not.