Charles Barkley criticized National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver and Women's National Basketball Association commissioner Cathy Engelbert for failing to make a clear statement on transgender athletes, as a debate stirred by former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has gripped the WNBA.
Appearing on Michael Smerconish's radio show, Barkley said he supports the gay and transgender communities but does not believe men should compete against women in sports.
"First of all, I always support the gay community. I always support the transgender community," Barkley said. "I got nothing but love and respect for gay people and transgender people, but under no circumstances do I think men should play against women. Zero. I'm disappointed in Adam Silver and Cathy, the commissioner."
Barkley says league lost control of the narrative
Barkley said the WNBA had lost control of the situation, allowing what he called bad-faith actors to push a political agenda around an issue he does not believe exists. He argued that Silver and Engelbert should have made a firmer statement against transgender inclusion in the league before the conversation spread.
"People are looking for attention now," Barkley said of Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White. "But he has a point though."
Barkley added: "Because Cathy and Adam haven't said, 'Hey, it's in the title. WNBA. We're not going to have transgender people in the WNBA, and we're not going to discuss it again.' That's what Adam and Cathy should have done two or three weeks ago before they turned it over to the internet and every fool, idiot, and jackass to have an opinion on."
What Barkley wanted Silver and Engelbert to say
Barkley, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and longtime NBA analyst on TNT, said Silver should have declared plainly that no transgender athletes would play in the WNBA.
"Adam should come out [and say], and Cathy, I like both of them a lot: 'There's no transgender people going to play in the WNBA. If you don't like it, kick rocks. And we're not going to discuss it anymore,'" Barkley said. "Enes is trying to get attention. Listen, if he did all the operations things, no, we're not doing that either. [Silver and Engelbert should have said] 'The WNBA is for women, and listen, this is the last time we're going to discuss it. We're not going to turn it over to the fools on the internet. We're not going to turn it over to Congress. The WNBA is for women only, period. And we're not going to discuss it again.'"
A breakout season overshadowed
Barkley said the controversy had overshadowed what could have been the WNBA's strongest season for talent, pointing to standout performances from Paige Bueckers, A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and rookie Olivia Miles.
"This was a great summer for them," Barkley said. "They all got raises. They started making the money that they deserve. They expanded. They're going to increase games next season. But I can't remember the last time I heard something positive about the WNBA."
