ATLANTA, Ga. (WFLA) — NBA analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley criticized the ‘defund the police’ movement pushed by some police brutality protesters Thursday.
The former MVP is one of four analysts on TNT’s award winning pregame show Inside the NBA. While basketball is the name of the game, the hosts are known to discuss social injustices as they gain national attention.
Racial tensions were inflamed again last week after it was announced that no officers would be directly charged for the death of Breonna Taylor.
The Inside the NBA crew discussed the jury’s indictment on Thursday’s pregame and postgame show.
“It’s bad the young lady lost her life, but you know, we do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop,” Barkley said. “Even though I’m really sorry she lost her life, I don’t think that we can just put this in the same situation as George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.”
Additionally, Barkley criticized the “fools on TV” that are pushing to defund the police.
“Because you know who ain’t gonna defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods,” he said. “That notion that they keep saying that, I’m like ‘wait a minute, who are Black people supposed to call, Ghostbusters?”
LATEST STORIES:
- Man loses hunting privileges for life in 48 states after Colorado poaching spree
- Comic-Con to be virtual in July; November in-person event also planned
- At least 15 dead after SUV carrying 27 crashes with semitruck near US-Mexico border
- Your credit report may be wrong, but you can do something about it
- Smokies see near-record 12 million visitors in 2020 despite pandemic