Charles Barkley: Sterling will have no choice but to sell
TNT’s Charles Barkley joined the show to talk about Donald Sterling and the NBA playoffs.
Barkley said that Sterling has to sell because he won’t have a team. “If Donald Sterling owns the Clippers when the season starts next year, no Black player will play there.”
Barkley said that we shouldn’t underestimate the players – they’re not going to “play games.”
Barkley said that if Sterling plays hardball, then Adam Silver should make all his players free agents and let them go elsewhere. And then when sponsors pull out, Sterling will see the value of the franchise plummet.
Barkley also weighed in on whether the NBA will suspend Paul George for coming off the bench during last night’s scuffle against the Hawks. Barkley said he was around when the rule first came in and he thinks they very well may enforce it. Barkley said the biggest issue is the rule, not this incident.
“It’s a silly rule,” Barkley said. “That’s not what the rule was intended for. … It’s a bad rule.”
Barkley talked about The Oklahoman’s Kevin Durant “Mr. Unreliable” headline. Barkley said local papers should be supportive. Now there’s the risk Durant will leave and never come back.
Barkley chimed in on the Lakers’ coaching situation. He thinks they’ll go with someone cheap in the short term and ride out Kobe Bryant’s career.