Charles Barkley goes off on Kendrick Perkins and ‘ESPN disease’

Charles Barkley has had enough with ESPN’s annual debate over the NBA’s MVP award.

The Hall of Famer and former Sixers great called into Altitude Sports Radio in Denver Tuesday, and ended up wading into the increasingly heated debate about the NBA’s MVP award between players-turned-ESPN analysts Kendrick Perkins and JJ Redick.

“One of the things that’s silly about ESPN at times, they do this silly debate every year about the MVP, going back even when I played,” Barkley said. “It’s a regular season award. It ain’t who the best player is, it’s who had the best regular season. But every year ESPN gets these fools on radio and TV talking about who’s the best player.”

Perkins and Redick got into a shouting match on First Take Tuesday over Perkins’ suggestion that racial bias among MVP voters was one reason the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić won two MVP awards and could win a third over Sixers star Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Stephen A., I mean no offense to you and I mean no offense to First Take, because I think this show is extremely valuable, it is an honor to be on this desk every day, it really is,” Redick said. “But what we just witnessed is the problem with this show, where we create narratives that do not exist in reality.”

Perkins had baselessly suggested Jokić padded his stats to help his chances this year, and that he won his two MVP awards in part because the majority of voters are white sportswriters and broadcasters.

Barkley, who was asked about the incident, said Perkins’ take “crossed the line” and was “one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard,” noting he could probably count on one hand the number of white players to win the MVP award. Larry Bird won three straight MVP awards from 1984 to 1986. In the nearly 40 years since, just three white players — Jokić, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash — have won.

“I always talk about ESPN disease. A lot of these guys when they get on TV, they’re like, ‘Well, I’m on ESPN, I’ve got to say something provocative,’” Barkley said. “You guys probably got some fools calling in, agreeing with it. That’s the thing that bothers me.”

“Race is such a touchy subject,” Barkley added. “We can talk about race as much as you want to, as long as you’re going to be fair and honest. But to slander [Jokić] in this situation is total B.S.”

Listen to the call here:

Barkley has been tough on Embiid over the years, but last month he praised the Sixers’ star following the team’s comeback win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Joel, to me, is the most unguardable player in the NBA,” Barkley said. “Even though Jokić gets all the assists and everything, this dude’s going to wreck you.”

» READ MORE: Union’s backups earn scoreless tie at El Salvador’s Alianza in Champions League opener