Charles Barkley has done it again, calling the Minnesota Timberwolves a “dumb” basketball team. It continues a pattern that started last year when the Timberwolves were blowing big leads in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, resulting in Barkley saying the Timberwolves were “dumber than rocks.”
This year, getting Barkley on TNT for a Timberwolves game has been difficult. It happened before the New Year once and in the two TNT games Minnesota had after were both nights off for Barkley, so Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers was the first time hearing Barkley opine about Minnesota in a long time.
“In the words of the great Mike Wilbon: That Minnesota team dumb,” said Barkley.
We’re not sure if Wilbon ever actually called the Timberwolves dumb, but that’s beside the point. Minnesota held a 15-point lead with under five minutes left in the third quarter and found a way to lose to the Lakers in overtime. The consolation prize was LeBron James calling Minnesota a “good-ass team.”
Even when the Timberwolves were up by 11 at the half, Barkley wasn’t buying it.
“The Wolves are playing hard. The Lakers got something to play for. The Wolves ain’t going to win nothing,” said Barkley, making it clear that he considers the Lakers a championship-caliber team while the Wolves are just there for the ride.
Shaquille O’Neal was less harsh, though pointed with his fake words when he said the Lakers won as a result of the “dismantilization” of the Timberwolves. And no, dismantiilization is not a real word.
“The Wolves had 11 turnovers and five baskets between the last quarter and overtime. Whatever that word Shaq made up is true. Minnesota, they gotta be kicking themselves,” said Barkley.
"Dismantilization" is not a word, @Shaq đź’€ pic.twitter.com/RwT7TOXHUD
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 12, 2023
At halftime, Shaq was asked by Ernie Johnson if the Lakers fell victim to the “Minnesota has no chance” mentality, and Shaq answered, “Yes, I think they did.”
Minnesota isn’t done yet. They have an elimination game Friday night at home against the winner of Wednesday’s game between New Orleans and Oklahoma City. A loss means their season is over, but a win gets them the No. 8 seed and a best-of-seven series against the No. 1 Denver Nuggets.
