Charles Barkley Fires Back at ‘Blood Money’ Outrage Over LIV Interest

Charles Barkley has acknowledged meeting with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.

Barkley could receive a LIV offer from Greg Norman after they met in Atlanta this week, but the Basketball Hall of Famer told the New York Post that it would need to be highly lucrative for him to walk away from his reported eight-figure income as an NBA analyst for TNT and spokesperson for multiple companies.

“In a perfect scenario, I would love to do both [TNT and LIV],” Barkley told the Post on Thursday. “I don’t know how Turner’s sponsors are going to feel about it. I know there is going to be some blowback.”

Barkley said he has heard from multiple sponsors following reports of his meeting with Norman.

“They checked in with me,” Barkley said. “What I told Subway, Capital One and Dick’s Sporting Goods, I said, ‘Wait a minute. I haven’t signed anything. I haven’t met with the guy. Let’s let this thing play out before you all call me all upset.'”

Charles Barkley pushes back on 'blood money' outrage with hope to do both TNT and LIV Golf https://t.co/QGyNTRBUeK pic.twitter.com/QGKl5IDl3p

— New York Post (@nypost) July 22, 2022

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Barkley was also dismissive of the concept that LIV golfers were taking “blood money” from Saudi Arabia.

“I told [Norman], ‘Listen, they are making up words, like blood money and sportswashing.’ I said, ‘We have all taken blood money, and we all have sportswashed something, so I don’t like those words, to be honest with you.’

“If you are in pro sports, you are taking some type of money from not a great cause.”

Barkley told the Post that he will play in the pro-am at the next LIV Golf event, which is set for next week at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.

David Feherty is leaving NBC and is expected to join LIV for eight to 10 tournaments a year.

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