Los Angeles, CA – July 13, 2016 – LA Live: Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose and Shaquille O'Neal on the ESPYS red carpet (Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)
Charles Barkley isn’t exactly a fan of the newfangled stuff. Sir Charles hasn’t been shy in expressing his disdain for certain innovations — everything from analytics, the proliferation of small ball and the practice of resting NBA superstars in the regular season has felt the wrath of the TNT commentator’s takes. You can add virtual reality to that list.
When Barkley was asked whether or not virtual reality could aid in the NBA’s growth by providing fans a new medium to watch games from, he responded cynically.
“Listen man, we need to worry about our product (on the floor),” Barkley told AListDaily. “I don’t want to watch it in virtual reality. I don’t want to see it. Number one, it’s weird and whacky, in my opinion. But some people might like it.”
Barkley went on to reiterate his opinion that quality of play — not some sort of technological advancement — is far more influential in determining the league’s future popularity, while also taking a customary shot at his TNT coworker Shaquille O’Neal.
“I don’t use a lot of technology,” he said. “It’s probably suited better for Shaq, because he uses a lot of technology. I know he doesn’t look smart, but he uses a lot of technology.
“I’m a part of the growth of the game that really started with the Dream Team. It’s amazing how popular some of these guys are around the world. The game is fine. The game is always going to grow, at some point. The most important thing is the product.”
This wasn’t the first time Barkley referred to virtual reality as “wacky.”
“I have put a VR headset on,” Barkley told TechCrunch in January. “It’s a little wacky for me. There’s a lot of stuff going on there.”
There is evidence that Barkley has tried on a VR headset since that interview as well. During TNT’s coverage of March Madness, Barkley and his fellow studio hosts demonstrated the potential uses of virtual reality in basketball. Barkley’s colleagues poked fun of what was on his VR headset: chicken wings.
