Charles Barkley says he would not mind being fired by ESPN after criticism over a crude Cardi B joke he made during the NBA Finals.
The Inside the NBA analyst made the remark during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where Cardi B performed at halftime during the San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks broadcast. Entertainment Weekly reported that Barkley joked about the rapper’s body while the studio crew reacted to the performance.
The comment drew criticism online and put Barkley’s move to ESPN under renewed attention. The former NBA star addressed the reaction during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, where he said he still has six or seven years left on his contract.
Barkley’s answer was not an apology. He said he was “hoping” ESPN would fire him because he believed the network would still have to pay out the rest of the deal.
Barkley Made the Comment During Cardi B’s Halftime Performance
Cardi B performed during halftime of Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. During the broadcast, Barkley made a sexualized joke about her appearance, saying, “I don’t know about B’s. Those might be Cardi D’s,” according to EW.
The joke spread quickly because it came during a live NBA Finals broadcast rather than a podcast or off-air conversation. EW reported that Cardi B appeared to acknowledge the attention on X, writing that both her name and Barkley’s were trending.
Barkley Said ESPN Could Fire Him if It Paid His Contract
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On The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley was asked whether anyone at ESPN had spoken to him about the reaction to his recent comments. He said he was not worried about being disciplined.
“I’m hoping they fire me,” Barkley said, according to EW. He added that he has “six or seven years” left on his contract and joked that he had asked his agent what he could do to get fired while still getting paid.
Page Six also reported that Barkley dismissed the criticism during the interview and said people without a sense of humor could “kiss my ass.” EW reported that ESPN did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
Inside the NBA Is Starting a New ESPN Chapter
Barkley’s comment arrived as Inside the NBA is moving through a new era in the ESPN and ABC NBA ecosystem. The show built much of its reputation on loose studio conversation, live jokes, and Barkley’s unfiltered reactions, but the Finals setting gave the remark a larger audience.
The Sun reported that Barkley remained defiant after the reaction, while Page Six framed his follow-up as a challenge to ESPN over his long-term deal.
There is no public indication that ESPN plans to fire Barkley over the Cardi B remark.