Charles Barkley shared a strong opinion regarding Joel Embiid’s kick to Nic Claxton’s leg early in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Embiid received a flagrant-1 foul for kicking Claxton in response to being taunted by the Nets big man, who stepped over Embiid after an alley-oop (video here).
The decision to give Embiid just a flagrant-1 foul rather than a flagrant-2, which would have triggered an ejection, led to some debate.
During halftime Barkley made his thoughts clear.
The analyst said during TNT’s halftime show that he felt Embiid should have been ejected and that Embiid’s kick was worse than Draymond Green’s stomp.
Charles Barkley on Joel Embiid’s kick:
“I think his was worse than Draymond's, to be honest with you.”
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 21, 2023
“I thought he should have been ejected. I thought that was a flagrant-2. I think his was worse than Draymond’s … I thought he tried to kick [Claxton] in his private parts,” Barkley said.
Shaquille O’Neal agreed with Barkley.
Embiid not being ejected looks bad when you compare it to what got James Harden ejected in the third quarter. But there was a difference between what Embiid did and what Green did. Green didn’t just step on Domantas Sabonis in response to having his leg grabbed; Green stomped and intentionally used Sabonis’ chest to push off.
Embiid’s actions seemed to be a reaction to being taunted. His reaction was inappropriate, just as Claxton’s step-over was inappropriate. But Green put some extra on it relative to Embiid.
