For better or worse, Charles Barkley never shies away from controversy. The 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte has been a controversial talking point for the NBA since North Carolina passed an anti-LGBT bill earlier this year. The league has discussed possibly relocating the All-Star Game if the law isn’t repealed. Throughout all this, Barkley has been outspoken about his distaste for the law.
Barkley took his dissatisfaction one step further on the Dan Patrick show:
“I told my boss, I don’t want to act like I’m jumping on a sword,” Barkley said during an appearance on the Dan Patrick radio program, “but I’ve talked to (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver; we need to move the All-Star Game.
“I hope they don’t put me in a situation where I have to boycott the All-Star Game. We need to move the All-Star Game.”
The specific law, called House Bill 2 (or HB2), repealed a Charlotte city ordinance allowing transgender people to choose their own bathroom. Barkley using his social cache in an attempt to repeal the discriminatory law is one of the many great things about him. When he isn’t rambling on and on about the soft nature of today’s big men, Barkley sometimes uses his stardom for good. It’s possible he, Adam Silver, and the NBA may help bring about change in North Carolina. If not, the league very well might be finding a new home for next year’s All-Star Game.
(Via Charlotte Observer)
