After two police-involved shootings last week, Charles Barkley decided to call out — not the cops — the black community: “We’ve got to do better.”
The outspoken NBA star believes that in the wake of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile being killed, as well as five Dallas police officers murdered by a gunman, “there’s a lot of people at fault” and the police aren’t just to blame. Barkley, whose bodyguard is a cop, respects and admires what police officers do.
“The cops have made some mistakes; black people have made some mistakes,” Barkley said on “The Dan Le Batard Show” Tuesday. “We have to sit back and be honest with each other. The cops have made some mistakes, that don’t give us the right to riot and shoot cops.”
However, The Daily News’ Shaun King reported that by mid-May, 71% of police who’ve been shot and killed in 2016 were killed by white men.
“We need the cops, especially in the black community. We as black people, we’ve got to do better,” said Barkley, who ironically also praised Warriors star Draymond Green for allegedly slapping a Michigan State football player — a crime he was arrested for — during the same radio appearance.
The TNT analyst even went as far to say that “there is some reason why there’s racial stereotypes,” because “some black people are crooks,” as the seemingly uncomfortable host tried to argue the other side.
“Some of these black people out there are committing crimes,” Barkley said. “Let’s don’t sit there and act like all our hands are clean.”
“Charles, you can’t be profiling like that,” Le Batard replied.
Barkley continued: “I’m not saying they should racial profile guys. I’m saying we can’t jump to conclusions every time, like it’s because a guy is black. First of all, there is racial profiling, there’s always been racism, and first of all, there’s racism on both sides, let’s get that straight.”
Barkley admitted that the cops “probably overreacted in both situations” but implored everyone to look at the “big picture” and work with police officers. He added that it starts with people within the black community respecting one another.
“We never get mad when black people kill each other, well that always has bothered me…,” Barkley said. “I’ve always said we as black people, if you want respect, you’ve got to give each other respect. You can’t demand respect from white people and the cops if we don’t respect each other.”
