Charles Barkley dares network to fire him over inappropriate Cardi B comment about her breasts
Charles Barkley has dared his employer ESPN to fire him over comments the former basketball pro made about Cardi B.
Game 3 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs wasn't just attended by Donald Trump, but singer Cardi B was also in attendance for the match at Madison Square Garden.
The singer performed during the halftime interval, with a clip of the performance shown by ESPN during their broadcast.
As Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley analyzed the first half action, Johnson laughed: “We’ve been competing with Cardi B here!”
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Barkley then replied: "I don’t know about B’s! They might be Cardi D's... I'm pretty sure those aren't B's.
“She’s got the wrong initials!”
The comments certainly divided opinion online, and Barkley has since addressed the noise on the Dan Patrick Show.
Barkley remarkably quipped: "Dan, you know I'm hoping they fire me. I got 6 or 7 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 6 or 7 years."
The former sports star turned broadcaster went on to say that no one from ESPN has contacted him following the comments, while he's issued a message to viewers who didn't approve of his remarks.
"People can’t take a joke?" he added. "They can kiss my a**. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten all these years, but if anybody thinks like them, they’re a fool. So if people don’t like me or don’t have a sense of humor, they can kiss my a**."
Following Barkley's comments earlier this week, many people took to social media to voice their opinions.
"Only Chuck can say something that wild and still be loved for it," one person penned on X.
Meanwhile, others claimed the broadcaster's remarks were 'rude', with one person penning: "The man is a grown adult on national television reducing a performer to her body like it’s 1995. It’s not funny, it’s not clever, it’s just sad.”
While the game was going on, Cardi B sat and watched court-side with her 4-year-old son Wave, as she held onto her Chanel 25 leopard print bag.
She was one of many celebrities and famous faces in the crowd, which included President Trump, who nodded off during proceedings.
UNILAD has reached out to ESPN for comment.
Topics: Cardi B, Celebrity, Sport, Basketball
Callum Jones