Charles Barkley Rips NBA for Racist Firing Hypocrisy: Teams ‘Part Ways’ with White Coaches But They ‘Fire Brothers’

As of Monday morning, June 7, there are three coaching vacancies in the NBA. The Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers, but none of the three departing coaches were “fired.”

Boston promoted head coach Brad Stevens to the front office, while Orlando and Portland mutually parted ways with Steve Clifford and Terry Stotts, respectively. But the wording of their departures caught the attention of Charles Barkley, who pointed out that White coaches are allowed to “part ways” with their team, while Black coaches get fired.

“Mutual parting of ways in Portland and in Orlando,” Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson said. “Steve Clifford out with the Magic, Terry Stotts out with the Portland Trail Blazers.”

“America, that means they were White,” Barkley quickly intervened. “They fire brothers, they don’t part ways.”

Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith laughed at Barkley’s analysis, but this is not a practice that’s confined only to the NBA. Earlier this year, ESPN was called out for having a subtle racial bias when reporting NFL coaches who were let go by their teams. The Chargers “fired” Anthony Lynn, who is Black, but the Jets “parted ways” with Adam Gase, who is White.

Just last week, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was fiercely critical of the overall hiring practices for coaches and executives in the NBA after Stevens received a promotion in Boston. Despite Black athletes making up more than 70% of the NBA’s players, only seven teams have Black head coaches and Smith frequently uses his platform to call out the stark disparity.

Watch above via, TNT