Charles Barkley takes jab at lack of homegrown Filipino NBA draftees

April 18, 2024

Charles Barkley caused a stir among Filipino basketball fans after questioning on-air the lack of homegrown Filipino players in the NBA.

Key points:

The NBA Hall of Famer and “Inside the NBA” analyst made the remarks Tuesday during an exchange with reporter Chris Haynes, who mentioned winning a Filipino league MVP award.
Barkley prefaced his retort with “No disrespect” before asking, “how many Filipinos have been drafted into the NBA?”
The comments drew mixed reactions from Filipino fans, with some taking offense and others finding it light-hearted banter.

The details:

After Barkley’s statement earned chuckles from Haynes and the other hosts, Shaquille O’Neal said he knows Haynes’ Filipino name: “Manny Black-uiao.”
While Filipino Americans have been drafted, a homegrown Filipino player has yet to join the NBA. The highly touted prospect Kai Sotto went undrafted in 2022 and is currently developing his skills in Japan’s B-League.
Filipino fans who appeared to take offense online poked fun at Barkley’s lack of championship titles. Others, however, pointed out that the star’s statements were intended as a joke.

Tangent:

Barkley is known for his unfiltered opinions and playful on-air exchanges with fellow analysts.
Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green are current NBA players of Filipino descent, while 1978 NBA draftee Raymond Townsend was the first Filipino American player drafted.