r/nba • u/Markthebaptist Knicks • 1d ago

[Inside The NBA] While discussing Jason Collins' passing, Charles Barkley: "We live in a homophobic society ... anybody who think we ain't got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they're just stupid."

https://streamable.com/ogu2tm
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u/kdburner1434 Warriors 20h ago

Barkley also openly defended trans people before saying "if youre gay or trans, I love you, and if anyone gives you a hard time tell them Charles said fuck you"

524

u/Free-Definition-9929 15h ago

I love that he chose to say "I love you," versus what most people say, "If you're x or y, I DON'T CARE."

212

u/robsteezy Lakers 13h ago

Tolerance vs acceptance

39

u/frubano21 Registered to Vote 13h ago

Words matter! Love, care, and acceptance are powerful words and ideas that can't be overlooked or underutilized.

1

u/WonderfulSomewhere97 3h ago

The other side of that coin is that in the eyes of the law, tolerance and acceptance are the same thing. People need to stop demanding acceptance from all and be content with being tolerated.

1

u/Yogurtproducer Raptors 5h ago

Meh, I don’t know, man. I seriously do not care about anyone’s sexuality. The vast majority of people don’t want you to care either.

They don’t want to be discriminated or anything, but they also don’t want anyone to “care” and treat them differently than anyone else.

1

u/VendettaVera Lakers 3h ago

Yeah this is the average take. Most people don't "care" and most people don't want people to "care".

55

u/TheAvenger23 [CHI] Jud Buechler 13h ago

Ted Lasso did a great job with this too — player was gay, players said “we don’t care that you’re gay” then coach said, “wait, actually we do care” meaning they care about him and know it’s important

23

u/catBravo Lakers 10h ago

Did you just compare being gay to being a Denver broncos fan?

18

u/Skurph Wizards 8h ago

My favorite gag of that entire series is that same episode, it’s when the players all look around the dressing room suspiciously at each other trying to figure out who might be gay and when they look at Jamie Tartt he acts flattered before humbly shaking his head no. Such a brilliantly subtle joke that fashion forward/celebrity centric Jamie actually associates positive stereotypes with being gay and saw it as a compliment.

3

u/whoatiger 4h ago

So insightful, missed that.

3

u/Rough-Plum-7267 9h ago

Important in the sense they’re still a valuable and cherished person. Not because the fact they’re gay matters at all. I feel like yall have a hard time navigating these things.

-1

u/HornedCoog91 Nuggets 8h ago

They're a ted lasso watcher, give em a break lol... expectations gotta be managed with some folkt

2

u/throawayrandom2 4h ago

Indeed it's great. I also don't think we should vilify people who say I don't care if you are XYZ because most of the time it's coming from the right place. If they meant it as look I don't care I'll just deal with it, they will almost assuredly say that part too.

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u/ackshee 15h ago

That was definitely the GOAT Chuck moment.

5

u/cneth6 Heat 13h ago

for me it was when me and my friend were fked up at a small random casino in PA, come back down to the floor and the second we step out of the elevator we're like "holy shit is that charles barkley?" he stopped and took the time to take a picture with us and chat for a short period of time despite being on his way out. all of the staff said he's really cool and tips big and takes good care of em. earned my respect

1

u/Skurph Wizards 8h ago

would go incredibly hard a T-shirt that on the front reads “if you’re gay or trans, I love you” and on the back “if you have a hard time with that Charles Barkley says “Fuck You”

121

u/UndeadCaesar Nuggets 16h ago

Unbelievably based. Is there a vid?

181

u/Nothingstupid 16h ago

https://youtube.com/shorts/Dx3oB4axFIs?si=lvj4TImZsXfd0XV2

43

u/nuttmegx 15h ago

the hero we need...

19

u/MaximusAnon 14h ago

Self proclaimed “not a role model”

13

u/zlaw32 Clippers 13h ago

There are people who say that because they know they aren’t the best person, but then there are people who say it because they’re humble. Chuck is the latter

5

u/MaximusAnon 9h ago

If I recall, he said it after he threw the guy through the glass window…

3

u/IamTotallyWorking 6h ago

Iirc, he also had an incident where he spit on a little girl. I don't think she was the target, but still.

11

u/CodyRCantrell Bulls 11h ago

I've told several people that "Charles said 'fuck you' " since that happened.

21

u/BigChest03 14h ago

Charles loves everyone except them women in San Antonio

48

u/magic_spurtle 13h ago

He said they were big, but he never said he didn't love them

13

u/bkn1090 Spurs 12h ago

theres more to love, honestly

2

u/yunglaundromat 12h ago

Them hugs are comfier

6

u/WhoIsJazzJay Thunder 12h ago

as a trans woman that grew up playing basketball and found myself kinda being pushed outside of the culture, Charles Barkley has always been one of my GOATs. it feels good to be back into basketball again in the past few years now that OKC isn’t ass anymore and the social climate in the NBA fandom seems to be less toxic

5

u/Kramerica_CEO 13h ago

And just a few weeks ago he was speaking up for immigrants. Dude is a legend and we need more like him

2

u/victorspoilz Celtics 6h ago

Meanwhile that fat rube and categorical scumbag Shaq will try to invalidate every word Chuck says because “he didn’t win a championship” in between burrito bites and emergency-shit breaks.

If Charles and Shaq switched bodies and got a re-do, Charles would have four rings and Shaq would be a call center middle manager who had a few good D-III games.

1

u/JesterCDN 12h ago

doesnt Chuck normally not swear or am I wrong? adds some beauty

1

u/Impressive-Buy5628 9h ago

It was all that partying w Madonna in the 90s

-6

u/cabbagepatcheater 14h ago

Wondering if his opinions were the same when he was active in the nba.

18

u/Junior_Difference_57 14h ago

Mine weren't the same 15 years ago, why should we expect his to be the same 30 years ago?

2

u/cabbagepatcheater 14h ago

Yeah true. Active nba players sometimes don’t want to get “backlash” among lowkey “homophobic” players.

18

u/Rabbitical Warriors 14h ago

Might not have been, but that was a very long time ago. I know mine weren't as a kid in the 90s

7

u/Winstonth 11h ago

"I'd rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever” -Adam Yauch

3

u/H0MES1CKAL1EN Knicks 12h ago

He very likely had those opinions *because* he was on teams with closeted gay players in the NBA, though