Charles Barkley escalated his criticism during the 2026 NBA Finals, blasting the person who threw eggs at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama after Game 4 in New York City, while also refusing to rein in his comments going forward.
Charles Barkley didn’t wait long to say what he thinks.
During the week of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, the Hall of Fame former NBA star and “Inside the NBA” analyst found himself talking about a wide range of fan behavior—and insisted he’s not planning to soften his stance.
The attention first flared after Barkley faced backlash for a joke about Cardi B’s physique during her halftime performance at Game 3 on June 8. But by the time he appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” later in the week. he framed the upcoming stretch as something he intends to keep saying out loud. He said he “would love to get fired” by ESPN and added that he doesn’t plan on reining it in for the rest of the 2026 NBA Finals or any time after that.
Then, during ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” broadcast before Game 5 in San Antonio on June 13, Barkley turned his focus back to New York—this time over an incident that happened after Game 4 in New York City on Wednesday night.
Barkley said, “What kind of scumbag takes three eggs to throw at Wemby?” He directed the question to Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, criticizing the effort it would take to come prepared with eggs and bring them to throw at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Johnson interrupted politely to clarify his view, saying he doesn’t believe it’s “an indictment” on the entire Knicks fan base. Barkley and Johnson agreed it was an indictment on the person responsible, not the broader group.
Smith then weighed in with his own framing, calling the behavior “very juvenile” and saying he was “hoping that it was teenagers.” He questioned the logistics of it, saying, “Like, who was carrying an egg for that long in their pocket?” Smith called the individuals “real cowards.”
Barkley returned to the point that seemed to sting most—how the timing and the outcome made the incident feel worse. “You know what bothered me the most about it?. They actually won the game!” Barkley said, referencing the Knicks’ historic 29-point comeback in Game 4. With that win, the Knicks took a 3-1 series lead.
The exchange left little ambiguity about what Barkley believed was happening in New York: in his telling, the eggs weren’t just childish. They were a petty act committed at a moment when the team had pulled off something dramatic.
The broadcast also underscored Barkley’s wider posture heading into the remainder of the series—he said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he doesn’t plan to rein in his comments, and on June 13 he again used the platform to name who he thought deserved blame, not the whole crowd.
Charles Barkley Victor Wembanyama Knicks Spurs 2026 NBA Finals ESPN Inside the NBA egg throwing New York City
Eggs?? Cmon thats wild. Barkley right though.
I swear people throw stuff every year and everybody acts shocked. Like if they actually won after throwing eggs then that just proves the Knicks fans are strong or something? Idk. Barkley just sounds mad again.
The part about “they actually won” makes it sound like he thinks that was the whole reason. But like… one random idiot with eggs doesn’t equal the whole arena, right? Also who is carrying eggs that long?? Unless it was some like food promo lol.
Barkley talking about being fired like it’s a flex. He’s not even talking about the actual game, just drama. Next thing you know he’ll blame Wemby for being too good and then nobody will care about the comeback. Those eggs are still dumb though, I’ll give him that.