Charles Barkley Dares ESPN to Fire Him After Controversial Cardi B Joke
Charles Barkley has become such a media darling on “Inside the NBA” over the past 26 years that people forget he was a Hall of Fame NBA player in his former life.
Barkley’s latest viral quip came when he made a blunt comment about Cardi B‘s figure during her halftime performance at Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 8.
Barkley doubled down on it when he appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” two days later.
"I'm hoping they fire me," Barkley, 63, said of ESPN. "I got six or seven years left on my contract that they know I've got no chance of doing. I would love for them to fire me and have to pay me for the next six or seven years. I was talking to my agent. I was like, ‘What can I do to get fired, but they'd have to pay me for the whole six, seven years?' I would love to get fired, I'm not gon' lie.”
Barkley emphasized that there is “zero” chance that he will fulfill his contract, so enjoy him on “Inside the NBA” while you can. He also had a Chuck-like response prepared for the backlash to his Cardi B joke,
“C’mon, man, people can't take a joke,” he said. “They can kiss my [expletive]. If people don’t like me - I appreciate and love all the support I've gotten all these years, but anybody [that] thinks everybody likes them, they a fool. So, if people don’t like me or don’t have a sense of humor, they can kiss my [expletive]. My whole [expletive], not just one cheek.”
As for the actual NBA Finals, the Knicks hold a 3-1 series lead. They’re two days removed from pulling off the largest comeback (29 points) in Finals history to win Game 4 before a euphoric Madison Square Garden crowd. The Spurs are in a must-win situation in Game 5 on Saturday, otherwise the Knicks will be celebrating their first championship since 1973 with the “Inside the NBA” crew on San Antonio’s floor.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 5:48 PM.