Charles Barkley had some words for Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey over a move Edey made during Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With 39.2 seconds to go in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game, Edey wound up in a jump ball situation with Thunder guard Lu Dort. Edey is listed at 7’4″ and had a huge height advantage over Dort, but was called for a loose ball foul when he essentially put his hand on Dort’s face while trying to win the tip.
This baffled Barkley, who questioned why Edey would pull such a move while possessing such a huge height advantage.
“This is just stupid. What the hell are you doing?” Barkley said on “Inside the NBA” after the game. “You’re seven inches taller than this dude. Just jump up. Why would you do that?”
Charles Barkley on Zach Edey: "This is just stupid. That's just stupid… If anybody don't think that's stupid… What the hell are you doin'? You're seven inches taller than this dude! Just jump up! Why would you do that?!" #NBA pic.twitter.com/QW1iQfJcAI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 25, 2025
The Grizzlies wound up losing 114-108, with Edey scoring nine points and collecting seven rebounds in the defeat.
It’s tough to argue with Barkley here. Edey likely wins the tip easily as long as he does his job. Instead, he cost his team a possession in a three-point game.
In a certain sense, this moment is emblematic of what has happened to the Grizzlies in this series. It is a needless unforced error that tangibly costs the team, and those issues are a big reason why they face a 3-0 deficit. They have played two tremendously embarrassing games in the series, from a 51-point defeat in Game 1 to a collapse of historic proportions in Game 3.
The Grizzlies host the Thunder on Saturday in a must-win Game 4. They will have to come back without Ja Morant, who suffered a hip injury in Game 3 and is not expected to play.
