Charles Barkley is one of basketball’s most famous and notorious voices, thanks mostly to his role on the “NBA on TNT” panel. Curiously, though, he doesn’t have any type of social media, which is quite a rarity for sports analysts in today’s day and age.
Well, on Saturday, Barkley explained why he is not, and will never, start a presence on social media. It has to do with the abuse that Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell received after their first-round loss in the NCAA tournament.
“You guys give me a hard time because I refuse and will never do any type of social media, this is the reason why … I am never going to deal and dignify these losers and interact with them ever,” Barkley said on Saturday morning. “I don’t care how much money somebody offers me, I am never going to do social media because of this.”
He also spoke directly to the individual who threatened Liddell:
“For a kid, No. 1, he had a great game,” he said. “But for you to give the kid death threats and to hurl racial slurs at him because you’re safe in your own home like a coward behind a computer and nobody knows how you are, you need to take a hard look at yourself in the mirror … But why would you sit at your house and tweet or send something to a kid that’s No. 1 after he lost a stupid basketball game and give him death threats or hurl racial slurs, you need to take a good look in the mirror and realize you’re just a freaking loser.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zUey35u-E
There’s really no excuse for death threats, especially if it’s stemming from a basketball tournament. No sporting event is that serious.
Unfortunately, toxicity is all too common on social media, and there are always going to be people who take things too far. You really can’t blame Barkley for staying away, even considering all the positives it can bring…
