It would not be easy for Charles Barkley to enjoy a peaceful walk in South Beach.
The controversial TNT commentator has infuriated a lot of Miami Heat supporters from the first season of the “Big Three”. In a radio interview in June 2011, he called them the “worst fans” and felt that Dwyane Wade does not deserve the status of a superstar. That was the tipping point.
Barkley speaks about his own failure in championship rings and did not expect LeBron James to ever put on a Heat Uniform. “I thought LeBron should have stayed in Cleveland and not shifted. Think about it, just because I did not win a sporting event, people consider me to be unsuccessful. That is probably the most stupid thing I have ever heard,” he said.
Indeed, Heat fans would argue that James has improved his performance with every season with the Heat. In fact, Erik Spoelstra designed a friendly environment around the player and the organization in which James would flourish both as a professional player and a human being.
Heat fans are known to be slightly spoiled and tend to leave early from the game and show up late and the NBA Finals was no exception. However, there is a strong fan base who cannot afford playoff tickets. Those fans filled the streets of the city for the parade and increased the television rating by a huge percentage.
The interviewer continued, “People in Miami dislike you already. You would only dig a deeper hole with this interview.”
Barkley was unperturbed. “I am not digging deeper. They were the same fans who left early in the match when they thought they would lose against Spurs. So, it is better not to pretend like super fans,” he said.