• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Even Galveston’s Defenders Admit Charles Barkley Has a Point About the Water

  • The ‘Inside the NBA’ cohost has started blasting the Texas vacation destination on national television.
  • The water does often look muddy or brown.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There are always legacies on the line in the NBA playoffs. Is Joel Embiid a fraud? Should “Doctor” Glenn Rivers have his medical license stripped? Is Anthony Edwards the future of the league? None of those issues, though, are as pressing as the state of the water at the beaches in Galveston, Texas.

On Saturday, after the shorthanded Pelicans got smoked by the Thunder and fell behind 3–0 in their first-round series, it was clear that New Orleans’s season was as good as over. For the Inside the NBA crew, this is typically the point when Ernie Johnson & Co. giggle over a short segment in which they send cooked teams to Cancun, or the ceremonial “Gone Fishin’” segment. Instead, this time Shaquille O’Neal teed up the Pelicans for an all-time Charles Barkley rant.  

“I’m disappointed in New Orleans,” O’Neal said with a smile. “Where they going, Chuck?”

“Galveston,” Barkley said, as the rest of the cast struggled to keep it together. “That dirty-ass water. We’re not gonna send them to Cancun; we’re gonna send them to Galveston, where that dirty-ass water be washing up on the shore and you people think they on the beach. … Y’all quit. Drive your ass down to Galveston. … They didn’t even try, man. We’re not getting them no plane ticket to the beach. We’re sending their ass to Galveston, Texas, right where that dirty water wash on the beach. They can’t even get in the water.”

That might have been it—but Barkley unleashed a non-apology the next night that was arguably more aggressive.

“I don’t want the BeyHive and [Jay-Z] after me,” he said Sunday night, referencing the fact that Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, is a Galveston native. “So just know that I apologize,” he said, before reiterating the jokes that landed him in dirty water the day before. Egging Barkley on, Kenny Smith asked whether his cohost would vacation there, to which Barkley responded, “Hell no.” 

“That water’s so dirty, I’d rather go to San Antonio,” said Barkley, who has a long-standing bit about hating San Antonio. 

Here’s the thing: The water in Galveston does appear to be dirty. It’s not unsafe or toxic, but the city’s own tourism board has a lengthy post headlined “Why Does Galveston’s Water Color Change?” explaining that blue-water days are unusual. Knowles, whose wrath Barkley correctly feared, wrote on Instagram, “Our water might not be blue, but it is still the beach and we love it!” (She included eight cry-laughing emoji and added “we got a great laugh,” seemingly signaling Beyoncé’s fans to stand down.)

“Our local water may not be crystal clear, but it’s not because it’s dirty,” Bob Stokes, the head of the Galveston Bay Foundation, told the Houston Chronicle. “Our water has a large amount of sediment in it. The currents push water from the Mississippi River to our upper Texas beaches,” which causes the “muddy” visuals, he told the paper, adding, “It is still very safe to swim and fish here.” 

Meanwhile, the Galveston Park Board and a member of the local city council defended the town to Houston Public Media without really addressing the state of the water. “Water conditions change day to day,” a park board statement read, adding that “Galveston is much more than a beach town.” Councilman David Collins joked that “if anyone understands being washed up, it would be Mr. Barkley.”

The Galveston Park Board did not immediately respond to a request by Front Office Sports for comment.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Chelsea

Chelsea Club World Cup Run Banks at Least $100M for Mark Walter..

The Blues will likely take home between $100 million and $120 million.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.

Has the WNBA Outgrown the Matinee Madness of Camp Days?

Caitlin Clark will return from injury in a Wednesday noon game.
Jonas

Jonas Valančiūnas Is Cryptic About Nuggets Standoff in Lithuania

The Nuggets expect Valančiūnas to honor his NBA contract. 

Featured Today

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
Paige Bueckers
exclusive

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexico forward Marcel Ruiz (14) heads the ball in front of United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) in the second half during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium.
July 7, 2025

USMNT Struggles Still Produce Big Gold Cup Ratings for Fox

The U.S. team’s recent issues culminated in a loss to Mexico.
Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
July 8, 2025

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 2, 2025

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.