Currently on a leave of absence from his role as an NBA analyst for TNT, Charles Barkley found time to talk to reporters at a golf tournament Friday.
Barkley addressed his drunk driving arrest in December, calling it a “mistake“, “stupid” and “100 percent my fault.” Barkley: “I’m getting penalized for [the arrest], and rightfully so.”
Barkley, who has not appeared on TNT since his arrest, “said his return to the TV booth is up to TNT.” The network recently said that no date has been set for his return.
Barkley was scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Friday, but it was postponed until next month.
Though somewhat in exile, Barkley was still outspoken as usual, taking on the topic of Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. In a situation that mirrors what Barkley has experienced, Phelps has faced intense scrutiny after a picture surfaced of him apparently using marijuana.
Barkley says he doesn’t “think [Phelps is] the worst person in the world … He made a mistake. He said he was sorry.” He was also critical of the negative attention Phelps has garnered, saying “I guess they want us to take him out back and shoot him.”
