Charles Barkley brands JJ Redick 'dead man walking' after Lakers coach blamed NBA coverage for bad TV ratings
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Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick didn't even utter Charles Barkley's name in his recent condemnation of league broadcasters, but the Inside the NBA co-host retaliated during Thursday's broadcast all the same. 'JJ, you come for the king you better not miss, because I can get you brother,' the 61-year-old Hall of Famer told Redick from the safety of TNT's studios in Atlanta.
![[Lakers head coach JJ Redick speaks with guard Max Christie on Tuesday in Los Angeles]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/03/15/93712181-14247439-image-a-15_1735916537043.jpg)
Barkley went on to describe Redick as a 'dead man walking' due to his team's up-and-down season: 'The Lakers stink, man.'. The kerfuffle began more than a week earlier, when Redick was asked about the NBA's disappointing TV ratings over the season's first few months.
![[(L-R) Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/03/15/93712701-14247439-image-m-19_1735916841853.jpg)
ESPN's five-game Christmas Day has since drawn an average of 5.34 million viewers, which is an impressive 87-percent jump for the network compared to a season ago. However, the NBA was facing an 18-percent Nielsen dip before the holiday, which many – including Barkley – have blamed on a few specific criticisms of the league: Too much 3-point shooting, teams resting stars too often, and an overall lack of competitiveness.
Speaking prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings on December 19, Redick offered an emphatic rejection of the criticism facing the NBA. He also appeared to be referencing the Inside the NBA crew. Barkley's full 2-minute rant on JJ Redick:"You just a dead man walking...you came out there thinking you going to change things with that same ugly girl you went on a date with...Damn bums out there but it's Frank Vogel & Darvin Ham's fault." pic.twitter.com/juKZXsdALy https://t.co/vTE3YU3xh5.
