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On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the NBA on TNT crew geared up for the Eastern Conference showdown between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. And as usual, it didn’t take long for Charles Barkley to steal the show—both for what he said on the record and what he didn’t realize was still on air.
Before tip-off, Chuck delivered some major praise for a player he feels isn’t getting nearly enough love. According to the Hall of Famer, the key to the Pacers’ surprising playoff run isn’t Tyrese Haliburton—it’s Pascal Siakam.
“I like Haliburton, but I think the only reason the Pacers are here is Siakam,” he said. “I think he’s the most underrated player in the NBA. He’s the best player on their team…But he’s the most underrated player in the NBA. And me and Draymond were talking, he’s one of the few players in the NBA who you can never run a play for, and he gets you 26. His ability is just, he’s so sleek.”
Siakam got his flowers, but the celebration didn’t last long. Moments later, Barkley shifted gears to another pet peeve: Lu Dort being snubbed—again—from the NBA’s All-Defensive teams. And this time, Chuck really let it fly.
“Those guys who vote on that don’t know what the f*** they’re doing,” Barkley said—clearly thinking the show had already cut to commercial.
Spoiler alert: it had not.
TNT didn’t mute the mics in time, and Barkley’s unfiltered opinion hit live TV in all its glory. Naturally, the internet had a field day.
“Charles Barkley dropping the f bomb as Inside the NBA goes to commercial 😂😂😂😂😂😂,” one fan posted.
“Charles Barkley dropping the F bomb right before commercial break lmao,” chimed in another.
“Charles Barkley thought they went to commercial and dropped an F bomb on live TV lmaoooo Chuck was referring to Lu Dort never making an All-Defensive team,” added a third.
From the looks of it, Barkley and co-host Ernie Johnson likely assumed their mics were cold. Johnson didn’t even flinch when Barkley let it rip, which usually means one thing—they thought they were off the clock.
And while Chuck’s hot mic moment was clearly unintended, it wouldn’t be NBA on TNT without a little chaos. After all, this is the same show where an Emmy-winning broadcast can pivot from basketball breakdowns to bleep-worthy bloopers in the blink of an eye.
Pascal Siakam might be underrated, but Charles Barkley going full uncensored on live TV? Now that’s something you don’t see every day.
English (US)