Charles Barkley roasted actor Jussie Smollett on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” halftime show Thursday night, after Smollett had been arrested and charged with felony for his false police report.
The segment was derailed after a question about ridiculous NBA playoff scenarios was asked, and Barkley interjected an unlikely scenario, albeit having nothing to do with basketball. “Two black guys beating a black guy up.” What followed was a solid two minutes of Barkley and co-host Shaquille O’Neal laughing at the stupidity of Smollett’s hoax crime.
“You paying with cash or your writing him a check, Chuck?” O’Neal asked, egging Barkley on.
“America, let me just tell you something: Do not commit crimes with checks. If you’re going to break the law, do not write a check…get cash man,” Barkley said. “I never use the ATM…I heard you can only get $200 out.”
Friday morning, the producers of “Empire” announced Smollett’s role would be cut from the final episodes of the season.
Charles Barkley has some advice for America & Jussie Smollett pic.twitter.com/3JaW9FlHM9
— CJ Fogler AKA Internet #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) February 22, 2019
“Jussie! You wasted all that damn time and money. You know what you should have did? Just went up in Liam Neeson’s neighborhood. He could have solved all your damn problems!” he yelled.
Barkley, using the segment to poke fun at another recent Hollywood hot topic, was referring to Neeson’s recent story about how he had once roamed the streets looking for a black person to kill after someone close to the actor confided to him that an unidentified black person had raped her.
Leave it to the NBA legend to say what everyone else is thinking. One Twitter user said it best, “Quality television. Thank You Charles Barkley. No #FakeNews from his lips.”
