Charles Barkley Discusses Parenting and Athlete Discipline

On Monday, Charles Barkley offered some candid thoughts on parenting during his segment on “The Dan Patrick Show.” The former NBA star didn’t hold back, expressing his views on what he sees as a lack of “discipline” among today’s athletes.

“I can’t even yell at them anymore,” he remarked, referring to his experiences with current players.

Barkley pointed to upbringing as a major factor influencing this trend. He believes that many parents are too lenient. “People say you shouldn’t yell at your kids. I mean, yes, you can yell at your kids,” he stated emphatically. “You might even need to spank them… It’s part of why these kids are acting out.”

He went on to clarify, “I’m not endorsing child abuse or anything like that, but if you don’t discipline your kids, well, they end up becoming the brats we see now. How can kids even know they’re doing something wrong? They’re not as aware as we’d like to think. When a kid is disciplined, they get the message.”

This isn’t the first time Barkley’s spoken about modern athletes. In 2024, he criticized the Philadelphia 76ers over their handling of Joel Embiid’s injuries and dismissively commented on the idea of “load management.” He’s expressed frustration over the significant money being given away in the league to players who’re not actively participating.

Just last year, he raised doubts about whether Stephen Curry could handle the pressure of playing against the tough teams of the past, like the “Bad Boys” of the Pistons.

Despite potential backlash, Barkley remains unapologetic about sharing his views. “I really don’t care if anyone disagrees with me. I don’t pay attention to social media, nor do I read the comments. If you don’t like what I say, well, that’s your problem,” Barkley concluded.