Charles Barkley speaks out about 'homophobic society' after Jason Collins' death
"Anybody who think we ain't got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they're just stupid." -- Charles Barkley
The Inside the NBA crew took a good five minutes to talk about the deaths of Brandon Clarke and Jason Collins, which were both announced on Wednesday. Part of the focus was on Collins as a trailblazer, the NBA's first openly gay player . Charles Barkley spoke about how courageous he was at the time and how proud the Hall of Famer was to see how Collins handled himself.
When Kenny Smith spoke about the "big deal" it was to come out 13 years ago and it doesn't feel big now "because of people like him," Barkley had a lot to say in response. "Kenny, in fairness now, if another guy did it, it would still be a big deal because we live in a homophobic society, and that's unfortunate," he said. "Anybody who think we ain't got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they're just stupid.
There is such animosity toward the gay community, and that's what's really unfortunate. " Watch the entire segment that included Barkley's comments: The full Inside the NBA segment discussing the passing of Brandon Clarke and Jason Collins, and Collins' legacy as the first active openly gay player in the four major sports leagues. pic.
twitter. com/ZfwLcu15ty ā Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 14, 2026 What was Brandon Clarke's cause of death? Clarke was 29 years old, with his death being investigated as a possible drug overdose.