Charles Barkley attempts to defend Kevin Durant criticism, claims he ‘never chased a ring’

Charles Barkley’s recent criticism of Kevin Durant unintentionally shed some light on Barkley’s later playing career and subjected him to a lot of accusations of hypocrisy. Now, Barkley is fighting back against that narrative, or at least trying to.

Barkley called out Durant for trying to “cheat his way to a championship” after the superstar signed with the Golden State Warriors. Many people pointed out that Barkley forced a trade to Houston late in his career to play with the Rockets, who were two-time NBA champions at the time and had Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler on their roster.

Barkley appeared on CBS Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb Show to attempt to set the record straight on that.

“I got traded to Houston,” Barkley asserted, via Dan Feldman of ProBasketballTalk. “I didn’t get asked to go to Houston. First of all, I never asked to go to Houston. So, that notion — I’ve heard that several times, that I was chasing a ring. I never chased a ring. I got out of Philly, because they were a bad organization. They traded the No. 1 pick in the draft, Brad Daugherty. So, I got traded to Phoenix. That was the only time I demanded a trade and wasn’t going to play anymore.

“But the Suns traded me to Houston. I wasn’t chasing a ring. I’ve never felt like a ring was — this ain’t like the mafia or Jerry Maguire where this thing completes. I was a heck of a player. I didn’t win it. I’m cool with that. I never played on the best team. But this notion that I chased a ring in Houston — they traded me to Houston. I never said let me go play with old Clyde, old Hakeem and old Charles Barkley. So, that’s actually 100 percent not true.”

Let’s remind you, however, of what Barkley said in 1996 at the time of his trade to Houston.

“I called the shots,” Barkley said at the time. “When push comes to shove, I think you have to stand up to the system.”

Barkley also called Houston “my first priority” and said that the trade gave him “a great shot at a championship.”

Barkley was either not telling the truth then or is fudging the truth now. My bet is on the latter. He’s probably aware that his criticisms sounded to many like sour grapes because he never won a ring, and now he’s trying to play damage control. Barkley might as well tell the truth – as LB explained, there’s nothing wrong with putting yourself in the best position possible to win a championship.