ESPN.com · Sep 21, 2017
Charles Barkley on players: 'Poor babies' can't play back-to-backs
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is "angry" that the NBA moved up the start of the season to lessen the amount of back-to-back games and eliminate any teams playing four games in five nights.
Speaking at Southern Methodist University on Wednesday, Barkley sarcastically said he wanted to "commend the NBA" for cutting the amount of back-to-back games. The 2017-18 schedule reduces the number of back-to-back games to an average of 14.4 per team, down from 16.3 per team last season. No team has more than 16 back-to-backs this season.
"I think it's a travesty that the NBA didn't just tell these guys to play basketball two days in a row. Moving the season up, it's just a joke to me."