By JAKE FENNER
Published: 12:55 EST, 17 February 2025 | Updated: 13:15 EST, 17 February 2025
After spending the past year railing on San Francisco over its homelessness crisis and lack of cleanliness, NBA on TNT voice Charles Barkley has hope for the city.
Despite initially joking that he would not be attending, Barkley was in the city over the weekend for the 2025 NBA All-Star game, which was held at the Golden State Warriors‘ arena – the Chase Center.
Barkley had been criticizing the city relentlessly for months, but appeared to indicate his belief that ‘The City By The Bay’ could turn things around under mayor Daniel Lurie.
‘Shoutout to the people of San Francisco, especially the mayor. I met the mayor a couple times,’ Barkley said during one of the games in the All-Star weekend’s main competition.
‘He’s been tremendous, and hopefully we can do something about the homeless population.’
Barkley’s comments about the city gained particular attention last month, when he called it ‘rat-infested’.
Basketball Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley (L) and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie (R)
Barkley (R) with TNT hosts Shaquille O’Neal (L) and Ernie Johnson (center) at All-Star weekend
Daniel Lurie delivers remarks at the beginning of 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco
Lurie and Barkley were even seen together in a photograph at a party hosted by Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith during the All-Star weekend festivities.
During a segment of the show ‘Inside the NBA’, Barkley commented over highlights of Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.
‘Listen, he’s gonna make the All-Star Game,’ Barkley said of Cunningham before noting he’ll be passing on attending the marquee event.
‘I’m not going. I’m not going to that rat-infested place out in San Francisco.’
When Smith called the city ‘beautiful’, Barkley pushed back: ‘San Francisco is not a beautiful city. Rats. Cats. Y’all are not gonna make me like San Francisco. No. Nope, nope, nope’
During last year’s All-Star game held in Indianapolis, Barkley asked Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller if he’d rather play in the cold of Indiana or ‘being around a bunch of homeless crooks in San Francisco.’
Warriors star Draymond Green called Barkley ‘crazy’ and said that he wasn’t welcome in the city.
When WNBA icon Candace Parker, who was also on the broadcast, said ‘We love San Francisco’, Barkley once again objected.
Barkley has previously been negative about the city’s multiple crime and cleanliness issues
Barkley was seen flipping off the crowd in San Francisco that was booing and cursing at him
‘No we don’t,’ he said at the time. ‘You can’t even walk around down there.’ He then later suggested that walking around the city was possible if you wore a ‘bulletproof vest’.
Despite Barkley’s belief that the city is crime-infested, 2024 marked a 20-year low for crime in San Francisco – with violent crime dropping 14 percent from the year before.
Likely due to his repeated comments about how he disliked the city, fans at the All-Star game booed Barkley repeatedly throughout the weekend.
At one point, the Basketball Hall-of-Famer turned around and flipped a crowd of detractors off with two middle fingers.
In the viral clip, the supporters took his gesture in good spirits, laughing and cheering Barkley as he spun around in his chair.
Following the recent backlash, Barkley spent Saturday volunteering at a San Francisco church, serving meals to the homeless in the notorious Tenderloin neighborhood.
He also vowed to donate $250,000 to an organization that works to tackle poverty and promote social justice.