Charles Barkley called out one NBA MVP voter.
Barkley was speaking during halftime of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals series between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal had praised Nikola Jokic as the best big man in the NBA. That prompted Barkley to bring up his issue.
Barkley pointed out that there was one NBA MVP voter who did not include Jokic in the top five of their ballot. Barkley railed on that voter.
“I gotta tell you something. It’s something that’s been bothering me,” Barkley began. “Joel (Embiid) deserved the MVP. And [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis (Antetokounmpo), they were 1-2-3, however you voted. There’s one person — I don’t even know this fool’s name — didn’t even have [Jokic] in the top five. People like that shouldn’t get a vote.”
TNT host Ernie Johnson reasoned that perhaps there was some sort of clerical error that led to the omission.
Barkley wasn’t having any of that talk.
“If you don’t think he should have been in the top five, you don’t deserve to vote,” Barkley said.
There are 100 NBA MVP voters. Embiid won the award and was in the top three for all 100 voters. Antetokounmpo, who finished third, was in the top three for all 100 voters. But Jokic, who finished second, was in the top three for just 99 of the 100. One voter did not have Jokic in the top five.
Whether it was a conscious omission or some sort of error, Barkley thinks that’s enough for the person to lose their MVP vote.
