Charles Barkley isn’t mincing words when it comes to the idea of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith making a run for president—he’s not buying it for a second.
“Hell no! Come on, stop it,” Barkley exclaimed during an appearance on Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich on OutKick. “Hey, hey, Dan, knock it off right now. Stop it. Come on man, don’t do that.”
Though Barkley emphasized he and Smith are friends, he made it clear he’s told Smith directly to drop any political aspirations. For the Hall of Famer-turned-analyst, Smith’s omnipresence on TV is already becoming a bit much.
“He’s already on General Hospital, now he’s going to be on Law & Order tonight,” Barkley noted. “You’re going to be on CNN, you’re going to be on Fox & Friends—I’m like, ‘Yo man, knock it off.’”
Barkley warned that the constant visibility could eventually backfire on Smith. “At some point people are going to get sick of you… and you’re going to be like, ‘Yeah I probably did too much.’ But once you do too much, it’s too late and people don’t take you serious.”
Barkley’s blunt assessment added to the buzz surrounding Smith’s expanding media presence—and his well-known feuds, including his ongoing drama with LeBron James.