If there is one thing about Charles Barkley that hasn’t changed over the years, whether during his playing days or now on the Inside the NBA crew, it’s that he never holds back. The 1993 MVP speaks his mind freely, even if his comments sometimes come off as blunt or borderline disrespectful.
That was once again the case when he took aim at the New York Knicks over their lack of intensity, making a remark so unexpected that the rest of the panel burst into laughter, while Sir Charles himself didn’t even seem to realize how it sounded.
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Barkley has a unique way of referring to the Knicks
The Knicks have been an inconsistent force since the start of the 2025-26 season. Despite bringing back much of the same core that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year, they haven’t looked nearly as dominant. At times, they appear to be cruising towards comfortable wins, only to lose focus and surrender their lead. That’s exactly what happened against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, when New York gave up a 13-point first-half advantage and went into halftime trailing by one point.
Frustrated by what he saw as a recurring pattern, Barkley did not mince his words while analyzing the first half collapse. As a result, his blunt description of the Knicks’ performance caught Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal completely off guard, so much so that both former NBA champions had to hide their faces while laughing at the NFSW jab.
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“Well, I think they are d–ks to me, their offense got stacked. In the beginning, they were flowing, but I think they got stacked. That was the difference,” the former 11-time All-Star said on the halftime show of Inside the NBA. “The Rockets got rolling, and I think they played different, when KD and Sengun are out of the game. They play a lot faster, and that’s what happened.”
The New York Knicks fought back
It only looked like criticism would intensify when the Knicks fell behind as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter. The game clearly seemed out of reach at Madison Square Garden. But in a dramatic turnaround, the home team outscored the Kevin Durant-led Rockets 33-15 in the final quarter to secure a gritty 108-105 win, marking their third victory in the last six contests.
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That being said, Barkley’s unapologetic trolling may have sounded harsh, but it also reflects the reality of playing in a major market like New York. The spotlight is always bright, and expectations are always on the seventh sky. So, naturally, when intensity dips or performances slip, criticism follows quickly and often loudly. That is part of the pressure that comes with representing one of the league’s biggest franchises.
Perhaps this comeback win can serve as a reminder to the Knicks of what they’re capable of when they stay locked in and play together. With the second half of the 2025-26 season only getting tougher, consistency, not flashes of brilliance, will ultimately define how far they can go this time around.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.