Charles Barkley decries 'you're not black enough' 'brainwashing'
His comments went beyond the treatment of Seattle's Russell Wilson to even touch on Allen Iverson.
Black people calling others "not black enough" is a "dirty dark secret" that damages individuals' chances for success, Charles Barkley declared on a Philadelphia radio show.
"For some reason, we are brainwashed to think that if you're not a thug, or an idiot, you're not black enough," the ever-outspoken NBA analyst told SportsRadio 94 WIP's Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis on Thursday afternoon.
Barkley, a former all-star forward for the Sixers, was commenting about a report that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was getting just such criticism from teammates.
"Why would you hate Russell Wilson?" Barkley said. "... Unfortunately, as I tell my white friends, we as black people, we are never going to be successful, not because of you white people, but because of other black people."
"When you are black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people," Barkley said. "...Young black kids, when they do well in school, the loser kids tell them, 'Oh, you're acting white.' The kids who speak intelligently, they tell them, 'Oh, you're acting white.'"
"We're the only ethnic group that says, hey, if you're going to jail, it gives you street cred," Barkley said. "That's just typical BS that goes on when you're black, man."
Interestingly, that article about the Seahawks cited a rift between Eagles receiver Terrell Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb and how it led to fisticuffs between Owens and defensive lineman Hugh Douglas.
In another Philadelphia connection, Barkley went on to cite former Sixers guard Allen Iverson as another example of a player hurt by "bad people around him."
"You know, one of the reasons a lot of black players go broke is when you're successful, your friends say, 'Oh, you ain't cool, you ain't down with us anymore,' and you end up giving up all your money to these damn losers, and you end up broke again," Barkley said.
A couple of years after Iverson joined the Sixers, Barkley advised him to forget the fancy cars and traveling with a pack of pals, just as Julius Irving and Moses Malone had once advised Barkley.
Iverson responded that his personal situation was different.
"A.I. is a perfect example," Barkley said. "He's a guy who's a good kid, who's got so many people around him who are full of it, and he kept them on the payroll trying to be a good brother. That goes back to what I was telling you earlier about the article about Russell."
It was just the latest case of Barkley making controversial remarks while commenting on pro athletes. After Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was accused of child abuse, Barkley said that "whipping" kids is different.
Listen to the entire Barkley interview.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com. Follow @petemucha on Twitter.