Charles Barkley and Shaq have awkward moment over HBCU legend
Former Kentucky State and HBCU basketball star Billy Ray Bates was mentioned during a recent 'Inside the NBA' episode highlighting a famous playoff performance from his days as a Portland Trail Blazer. But the conversation quickly turned awkward thanks to Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal.
The incident occurred on Sunday during a discussion about notable playoff debuts, where Bates' impressive 29-point performance off the bench in 1980 was highlighted. Co-host Charles Barkley questioned whether Bates was still alive, to which Shaquille O'Neal incorrectly asserted that Bates had passed away.?
The following night, Johnson addressed the mistake on-air, stating, 'We would like to issue a correction and an apology for something that happened last night on 'Inside the NBA.' We were talking about Billy Ray Bates… In the course of our discussion, we passed on some bad information that Billy Ray Bates had passed away. While it was inadvertent, it was also inaccurate, and insensitive, and inexcusable. In short, we screwed up. And we apologize to Billy Ray Bates and his family.'
The show faced criticism for not verifying the information before broadcasting it, especially given that such facts can be easily confirmed. Bates, now 68, had a brief but impactful NBA career, primarily with the Portland Trail Blazers, and also played for the Washington Bullets … the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged an impressive 26.7 points per game in six playoff appearances, solidifying his place in NBA history.?
Billy Ray Bates was drafted in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets but didn't make his NBA debut until 1980. Bates, who held the nickname 'Black Superman' had a stellar collegiate career at Kentucky State University from 1974 to 1978. Over 107 games, he scored 1,723 points, averaging 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. His breakout came during the 1976–77 season, when he posted 22.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Bates showcased impressive efficiency, shooting 56% from the field and nearly 78% from the free-throw line throughout his college years. Known for his explosive scoring and athleticism, he steadily improved each season, becoming a dominant force by his junior and senior years. Bates' collegiate legacy remains one of Kentucky State's finest.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fact-checking, particularly when discussing individuals' lives on public platforms.
The post Charles Barkley and Shaq have awkward moment over HBCU legend appeared first on HBCU Gameday.
Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

17 minutes ago
Hall of Famer Don Nelson selected as this year's winner of Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Don Nelson has been invited to the NBA Finals countless times in recent years, always declining those opportunities. This time, his peers found a way to ensure he couldn't say no. Nelson — a Basketball Hall of Famer and three-time NBA coach of the year — was announced Sunday as this year's recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. It will be formally given out Sunday night, about an hour before Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. 'History has already reflected Don Nelson's staggering contributions as a cutting-edge innovator and visionary of the NBA game,' said Pacers coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle. 'Back in the '80s and '90s, he made teams adjust to historic pace, liberal 3-point shooting, inverted offense, and disruptive defensive schemes. All this while establishing himself as one of the most compelling personalities in all of professional sports.' Nelson, 85, retired in 2010 as the NBA's career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens' 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022. Popovich is part of the committee that selects the Daly award winners. 'One of my best friends in my life," Nelson said of Popovich. "So, I'm really, really proud to be here and to share this award. I made the Hall of Fame in 2012 and this is certainly as important to me as that award was.' Nelson is one of only two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three franchises. He got to that mark with Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State, and also coached New York briefly in his career. Nelson and Daly were close friends. They went head-to-head 41 times as coaches: Nelson's teams went 21-20 in those games. 'Chuck was an absolute genius in all facets of the game and life,' Nelson said. 'I'm glad I had the opportunity to coach against him, learn from him, and benefit from his knowledge. To say that I'm deeply touched to receive an award that bears his name would be an understatement. This is special.' Nelson took teams to the playoffs 18 times as a coach and won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics. He started coaching in 1976 and what became known as 'Nellie Ball' soon created a buzz with him being generally credited for introducing what is now known as the point forward. His up-tempo offensive ways were probably best on display with Golden State in the 'Run TMC' era featuring Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. But his defensive schemes — including cross-matching and even writing the rules on illegal defense at the league's request, he said — should be remembered as well, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'I do appreciate the fact that he seemed boundless in terms of what he was willing to do, and he wasn't really relying on what was conventional,' Daigneault said. 'So, I have unbelievable respect for him.' The award is in Daly's memory and celebrates his 'integrity, competitive excellence, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball.' Prior recipients are Rudy Tomjanovich (2024), Rick Adelman (2023), Mike Fratello (2022), Larry Brown (2021), Del Harris (2020), Frank Layden (2019), Doug Moe (2018), Al Attles and Hubie Brown (2017), K.C. Jones and Jerry Sloan (2016), Dick Motta (2015), Bernie Bickerstaff (2014), Bill Fitch (2013), Pat Riley (2012), Lenny Wilkens (2011), Jack Ramsay and Tex Winter (2010) and Tommy Heinsohn (2009).


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
LeBron James on critics saying he doesn't have scoring skills
LeBron James on critics saying he doesn't have scoring skills LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer two seasons ago when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 2023 during a game between his Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since then, he has surpassed 40,000 points, and he currently has 42,184 points for his career during the regular season, as well as 50,473 points in the regular season and playoffs combined. Still, some don't consider him an elite scorer. He isn't quite as skilled as some of the other leading scorers in NBA history, such as Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and it has even led some to downplay his accomplishment as the all-time leading scorer. According to critics, James doesn't have "a bag," meaning that he doesn't quite have the skill-based moves that other superstars possess. He has indeed always relied heavily on his athleticism and physicality, although he has greatly improved his 3-point shooting over the last two seasons. During a recent episode of his "Mind the Game" podcast, which he co-hosts with Hall of Famer Steve Nash, James reacted to those critics and tried to downplay the importance of having a highly refined skill set (h/t Lakers Nation). 'When I was growing up, it wasn't talked about. The least amount of dribbles to get to where you need to get to was what I grew up watching. Michael Jordan wasn't dribbling 1,000 times to get to his spot and raise. Isiah Thomas, as great of a handle as Isiah Thomas had, Isiah would get to his spot and raise. All these guys that I grew up watching, Grant Hill can get to his spot and bury you. [Glenn] Robinson, I get to my spot and I'm burying you. Allan Houston, all these great players that I grew up watching and admiring, Penny Hardaway. They could dribble the basketball, yes. Tracy McGrady, even as great as Tracy was, it was I'm bigger than you, I'm gonna get to the spot in the least amount of dribbles. Kevin Garnett, just good footwork and getting over the top, if I'm bigger than you and I get you on my shoulder or get you on my hip, I'm gonna use my size. I see it all the time, I be on social media and it's like 'LeBron has no bag.' LeBron has no bag and I'm sitting over there with 50 billion points… Just play the game the right way. And I hope that our younger generation doesn't get swamped by saying OK, I need a bag, I need a bag. Work on your game, know what you're gonna be good at in order to help the team and prove the next year to be a better player. You come in as a guy that's offensive game is not developed, you come in and you defend, you get extra possessions, you get extra rebounders for the guys. OK, then next year you work on your game in the offseason. It's only one or two, three guys maximum that's gonna be handling the [expletive] hold anyways. We don't need you to have a bag. We have the luxury of having three guys with us two and AR, but not many teams have three guys that's gonna be handling the ball like that anyways. You can make $200 million in the NBA if you defend and shoot a corner 3-pointer.' Even at age 40, and even without the same level of scoring skills as some others, James has continued to excel. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range. With Luka Doncic now by his side, one can easily see the game becoming a little easier for him now that he has been playing off the ball more often since Doncic's arrival. Many have wanted James to play off the ball for years in order to lessen his workload and increase his efficiency. No matter how skilled or unskilled one thinks James is, many feel his career scoring mark will never be surpassed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pacers vs. Thunder: Tyrese Haliburton can't repeat heroics in Game 2 of NBA Finals — 'It feels like there's five guys around'
OKLAHOMA CITY — Perhaps Tyrese Haliburton's limp is nothing. The way he gingerly exited Oklahoma City's Paycom Center was far different than the confident stroll he came into the night with. It could be some WWE-style ploy to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to take him off their 'most wanted' list, to get them to let their guard down just a bit as the scene for the 2025 NBA Finals shifts to Indianapolis after OKC tied the series 1-1 with a 123-107 win in Game 2 on Sunday. Advertisement But by his own admission, Haliburton has had 'two really poor first halves' in the first two games of the Finals. You make up for it by capping off a late comeback with a game-winning jumper that takes the air out of a home building. There was no such elixir Sunday night, though, as the swarming Thunder defense played to its reputation in stymieing Haliburton and, thus, grinding the Pacers' offense to a halt. The stat sheet says Haliburton finished with 17 points and six assists — which is actually a better scoring output than Game 1, but most of those buckets came in the fourth quarter when the Pacers couldn't mount a cursory comeback. The Thunder never sweated in Game 2 because they kept Haliburton feeling the heat, holding him to three points in the first half, as they retook control and set the terms of engagement to tie the series. It's their physical style that kept Haliburton out of the paint and roaming the perimeter, probing and praying for a crack in an impenetrable defense. The paint was off limits in Game 2 and the Pacers were relegated to passing the ball around the perimeter — perhaps paying a bit too much respect to the Thunder's historical defense. Advertisement 'This is who they are defensively,' Haliburton said. 'A lot of guys who can guard the ball fly around.' In the aftermath of a drama-less Thunder win where the most compelling moment of the evening was Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson protesting the Luka Dončić trade by wearing Dončić's sneakers upon being honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, all eyes are naturally headed to Haliburton. Baked into the Thunder's scheme is giving up a lot of 3s, and giving up a lot in the corner, which is technically the easiest shot. But when their big people are flying around to those spots, you're not playing your game — it's actually going right into the Thunder's plans. 'I think you have to choose on getting 3s your way,' Haliburton said. 'We gotta do a better job of getting downhill and just playing from the inside out. You know, they are a team, like you said, it really takes away the paint, does a great job of swarming the ball. It feels like there's five guys around here every time we're in the paint.' Tyrese Haliburton, center, reacts during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) There's an up-and-down nature to Haliburton's production in these playoffs, the sterling moments immediately followed by pseudo-disappearing acts. Or at least an inability to recapture magic two nights later. This isn't a referendum on his stardom or validation to the 'overrated' talk. It just shows how difficult it is to produce on-call. Advertisement Following the wild finish in Game 2 of the semifinals against Cleveland, Haliburton put up a stinker with four points and five assists in a blowout loss at home that temporarily gave the Cavaliers hope. After he painted his Mona Lisa in Game 4 of the East finals against the Knicks — that perfect 32-15-12 game — he followed it up with eight points and six assists in a 111-94 Game 5 loss. This one followed the exact same script, even if Game 1 wasn't a statistical marvel. The Thunder just applied extra attention and Haliburton was content in not forcing the action. 'They're really physical, force the officials to let us play a little bit more,' Haliburton said. 'Gotta do a better job of playing through there.' There was light hinting by the Pacers about the Thunder being given more leeway physically, but nothing close to anything being fine-worthy. Haliburton's words were the strongest on the matter. We haven't reached the 'plant a seed with the officials' stage of the Finals quite yet, although a similar performance in Game 3 could produce some crowing from veteran coach Rick Carlisle. Carlisle wanted to take the spotlight off the 25-year-old point guard and focus on the Pacers' lack of production as a whole. Advertisement 'There's a lot more to the game than just scoring, so everybody's gotta do more,' Carlisle said. 'It starts with the best players, with Tyrese and Pascal [Siakam] and Myles [Turner] and it goes from there. People shouldn't look at his points and assists and judge how he played, or judge how any of our guys played. 'We're an ecosystem that has to function together.' Haliburton is the biggest cog in the ecosystem, but is also the player the Thunder are best equipped to handle with physical play. Lu Dort and Jalen Williams are on the All-Defensive team, and Alex Caruso might as well be — there's no rest or easy matchup for Haliburton to pick at. And with Siakam struggling to create his own offense (3-for-13 shooting), the Pacers' options to get reliable shots dwindle. It sounds simple, but the Pacers do have to screen better to spring Haliburton while he's on the ball. Caruso and Dort navigate screens as well as anyone in the league, so the Pacers have to walk the line of being physical without drawing too much of the ire from the officials. Advertisement 'Screening, there's an art to it,' Turner said. 'You have to be able to set the guy up. It's a matter of timing it and getting on the same page. There's plenty of stuff we can do. But I don't think we did a good enough job of executing.' Haliburton was far more aggressive in the fourth quarter when he played off the ball a lot more, which might be what Carlisle was hinting at when referring to an ecosystem. He's not the point guard who needs to control every possession and it's a gift in not being in the same spot all the time. That's how the Thunder were able to corral Anthony Edwards in the conference finals. They knew exactly where he would be at all times. Advertisement 'We had some success in me playing off the pitch, flying around, rather than that high-ball screen, which I feel I'm really successful at,' Haliburton said. The problem is, the Thunder are excellent at defending that and, by playing smaller, they can switch and chase, matching the speed of the Pacers' offense with some of their own. 'That gives them a chance to load up, pack the paint," Haliburton said. "They got a couple steals in there, I had some really dumb turnovers tonight. They're giving me different looks.' He's not running from accountability or the moment. It's just the moment isn't as easy as it looks and it's doubly hard to repeat such rare feats. Problem is, the Pacers need three more of those rarities just to have a shot.