Count Ken Carman amongst Charles Barkley’s fans. The TNT analyst was at the center of the discussion Thursday morning on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland.
Carman and co-host Anthony Lima were discussing the trustworthiness of television personalities. Lima noted that there has never been a time when he didn’t believe something Barkley said on the Inside the NBA set.
“There aren’t a lot of people like that in the world,” Carman said in agreement.
Antony Lima said Barkley’s TV presence is an extension of his self-awareness. He will own his past mistakes. That is why it doesn’t feel like he is ever saying anything for applause or specifically to generate headlines.
Ken Carman said that the charm of Charles Barkley is in his willingness to acknowledge that he is an imperfect person and not see it as a weakness. He then noted that while he is jealous of the successful broadcasters he refers to as “the hot take guys,” he would still rather have Charles Barkley’s reputation.
“The Skip Baylesses, the Nick Wrights. I think we all know that we do not think that they believe what they are saying, correct?” Carman said. “People say they do not think I believe all the time what I am saying, correct? Guess what! Charles Barkley, you have never heard said ‘Oh, he’s just saying that to get a rise’, no, he is not! That’s the thing. It’s so hard to come across as genuine as he does.”
Arguing passionately for a point you do not believe is disrespectful to the audience in Carman’s eyes. He said it extends beyond sports broadcasting. Viewers can tell who on ESPN, FS1, Fox News, MSNBC, and any other network does not believe the words that are coming out of their mouths. That is why the career Charles Barkley has put together is so commendable and astonishing.
“You can tell who is saying stuff just to say it and you can tell who is saying it from the heart and it is very tough to do that and then monetize it.”
