Charles Barkley, M.D., has a very strong opinion about Kevin Love being held out of Game 3 of the NBA Finals due to his concussion suffered in Game 2 on Sunday.
Appearing on ESPN’s pregame show prior to Game 3 Wednesday, Barkley was visibly frustrated with doctors holding Love out of the game. Barkley said that he wouldn’t have let doctors keep him out of a Finals game.
“If a doctor had told me I couldn’t play in a Finals game, I’d have slapped the hell out of him. (Imitates doing a slap) I would have said, ‘See, my hand-eye coordination is great.’ I’d say, ‘Doc, listen, no disrespect, if I die, I die, but I’m not missing a world championship game.”
Barkley then defended Love.
“It’s unfair to Kevin. I know we have our problems with concussions in football, but I think it’s unfair to try and compare basketball and football concussions together. In football you get hit every play and can have a bunch of concussions.
“I just think it’s unfair to Kevin. He gets unfairly criticized at times. But if I’m Kevin, I’m going down screaming. There’s no doctor that’s not going to let me play in a championship game.”
Love is currently in the NBA’s concussion protocol and cannot play until doctors clear him. He’s looking at a return for Game 4 on Friday at the earliest.
Considering the NBA screwed up the situation off the bat by allowing Love to play immediately after getting hit in the head, they’re probably trying to make up for it now by being extra cautious. Unsurprisingly, Love is said to be “really frustrated” by the decision.
