Charles Barkley says the NBA MVP award was “leaked” before Amazon Prime could announce it on May 17, calling the league “embarrassed.” In the same interview, he also looked back at his fallout with Draymond Green and the Warriors, and described a long-overdue
Charles Barkley sounded genuinely frustrated—less about who won, more about when the world found out.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina that posted on YouTube on May 21. the Hall of Famer took issue with ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania breaking the news that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had won a second straight MVP award before Amazon Prime was scheduled to announce it later on Sunday evening. May 17.
“You know, I like (Charania) a lot, but I didn’t like that leaking,” Barkley said. “That network paid $2.5 billion for the next 11 years; 2.5 was the reason we lost the NBA because we couldn’t come up with $2.5 billion for 11 years.”
The business fight is baked into the league’s current media setup. The NBA partnered with Walt Disney (ESPN). NBC Universal and Amazon Prime on an 11-year deal for $76 billion through the 2035-36 season. ESPN reported July 11, 2024, that the NBA declined to accept Warner Bros. Discovery’s (TNT) $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league. TNT Sports and ESPN reached an agreement in November 2024 that TNT’s award-winning “Inside the NBA” with host Ernie Johnson. Kenny Smith. Shaquille O’Neal and Barkley would air exclusively on ESPN and ABC beginning this 2025-26 season.
Barkley’s point was sharper than the contract numbers. He said the NBA should be “embarrassed” that the MVP winner was reported before Amazon Prime could announce it leading up to its broadcast of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons on May 17.
“I think the NBA should be embarrassed that got out,” Barkley continued. “You know, you can’t charge these networks that much money and then don’t give them some exclusives on some things. I mean, I just think that’s unfair.”
That anger—aimed at an entertainment pipeline that’s supposed to protect moments—ran alongside Barkley’s other basketball conversations, including the conference finals and the ongoing friction that comes with being a public figure in the middle of the sport.
In the Eastern Conference finals series where New York rallied from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to steal Game 1 from the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime. 115-104. May 19. Barkley said. “I picked Cleveland coming in. They make me nervous man. You talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. they are the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team. but you know what. worst case scenario. I’m not going to lie. I don’t think it’d be the worst thing in the world for the Knicks to get to the finals. I think it’d be great for the NBA.”.
The Knicks and Cavs play Game 2 on May 21, in Madison Square Garden in New York.
His conversation also touched Draymond Green dissing him about the state of the Golden State Warriors. Barkley recalled Green’s comment that the Warriors’ goal “is not to look like (Barkley) in a Rockets” uniform. referencing the end of Barkley’s NBA playing career with the Houston Rockets. Barkley then responded with a message that didn’t read like a defense. more like a refusal to be drawn into drama.
“I was surprised so many people came to my defense. I’m not sensitive. I say stuff about players all the time. I hope they don’t take it personally. I know they have at certain times because I’ve gotten calls from them or their agent or they’ve taken a shot on me on Twitter or something like that. but I don’t overreact when guys get mad.”.
Barkley said he didn’t get mad with Green taking a shot at him. He added that he remembered his own later years in Houston—years he framed as embarrassing because of how he played.
“I’ve said this before. I was embarrassed my last two years in Houston because I was shot. I didn’t play well at all. People were pointing out those two years I felt like I was shot they were better than Draymond’s career numbers. but nah. i didn’t take it personally. I don’t get sensitive. I can’t get on TV. radio. your podcast and say things about people and if they get mad or say something bad about me and act a little witchy. I didn’t take it personally.”.
Barkley’s Houston years weren’t a small footnote: he averaged 16.5 points and 12.2 rebounds in his four seasons (183 games) with the Rockets. The Suns traded Barkley to the Rockets in August 1996. He received his 11th and final All-Star nod in his first year in Houston in 1996-97. and the Rockets lost to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference finals that season.
Then the interview pivoted into something more personal: Barkley reconnecting with Michael Jordan—after years of public headlines and, at times, a colder edge between two legends.
Barkley described the reconnection in a way that made it clear this wasn’t a sudden social media moment. He linked it to former Major League Baseball star Vince Coleman, saying, “Vince has been in our inner circle 40 years. Vince was actually a neighbor of mine in Scottsdale and I played golf and Michael played with us all the time. but Vince has been a great friend for 40 years. Great, great friend. A neighbor of mine for probably 20 years.”.
He said the first step came when Coleman called him.
“How the thing came about, (Coleman) called me on the phone and I just saw his name,” Barkley continued. “This is how we talk to each other. Hey mother, what’s up mother (expletive). He said, ‘Hey, nah, it’s me, MJ.’ I said, ‘Hey man, what’s happening?. How you doing?’ I don’t have any animosity towards that dude. I love him like a brother. He’s always been there for me. And then Vince was like, ‘Yo man, you two guys need to cut the bullshit. Ya’ll know ya’ll love each other. Ya’ll know ya’ll miss each other.’”.
Barkley has maintained a residence in Phoenix since winning NBA MVP in his first season with the Suns in 1992-93, leading them to the 1993 finals. Phoenix lost to Jordan and the three-peat Chicago Bulls in six games.
The feud, he reminded viewers, didn’t start in a vacuum. The Jordan-Barkley feud began more than a decade ago when Barkley criticized Jordan’s management and ownership of the then Charlotte Bobcats who are back to being the Hornets. Barkley addressed the beef in an interview on 60 minutes in 2023.
The moment Barkley described with Coleman—MJ on the phone, then friends urging them to stop the “bullshit”—lands as a counterweight to everything else he’s been arguing about: exclusives that matter, respect that gets tested, and how quickly the public story can miss the real one.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin. Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.
Charles Barkley Shai Gilgeous-Alexander MVP leak Amazon Prime NBA Shams Charania Michael Jordan Vince Coleman Draymond Green Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Cleveland Cavaliers Madison Square Garden Suns Rockets
Honestly who cares when they announce it lol.
Barkley mad about a leak like it wasn’t gonna happen anyway. Also Shams probably just did it for clicks, ESPN be like that.
Wait so the MVP was leaked BEFORE Amazon announced it? But wasn’t that supposed to be on Sunday evening? I’m confused because I swear I saw something about it already like days ago. Sounds like Barkley is blaming the wrong people though, like it’s the networks’ fault for paying whatever $2.5B and not Barkley’s own opinion lol.
This is why sports media is embarrassing. They pay all this money then can’t control “breaking news” timing. Also the part about him finding Jordan again like… what does that have to do with MVP leaks? I guess Barkley just goes on rants and the headline people only read the first sentence.