Upon learning Miami Heat C Hassan Whiteside was not voted into the 2016 NBA All-Star Game recently, Hall of Fame player and current TNT commentator Charles Barkley — who is never reluctant to share his thoughts — publicly voiced his opinion on the matter.
Barkley said on ‘Inside the NBA’ that Whiteside “doesn’t rebound enough” to make the team.
Whiteside, like Barkley, is never one to bite his tongue, especially when it comes to talking about himself. In response to Barkley’s comments, Whiteside took to Twitter and Instagram to voice his displeasure in the most modern-day manner you can think of — through a meme.
When Chuck says you don’t rebound enough but you top 5 rebounders in the NBA in less than 30 mins pic.twitter.com/kNNWGfteD6
— Hassan Whiteside (@youngwhiteside) January 22, 2016
While answering Barkley back probably isn’t the most professional thing in the world to do, Whiteside is 100 percent correct with his point. He currently averages 11.2 rebounds per game, which is fifth-best in the association. The four players above him, Andre Drummond (15.5), DeAndre Jordan (13.5), Dwight Howard (12.1) and DeMarcus Cousins (11.6) all average 32.5 minutes per game or better, while Whiteside only receives 28.5 respectively.
Barkley would have been better off criticizing Whiteside’s attitude, as he would have a much stronger case in that respect. Whiteside is an incredibly talented player, but there’s a reason he ended up needing to prove himself in the D-League after being drafted in the second round back in 2010 by the Sacramento Kings. Whiteside was said to be lazy and quite aloof during his time in Sacramento, which ultimately earned him a ticket out of town.
The fact that the Heat have neglected to give him a contract extension as he approaches free agency suggests they aren’t pleased with his antics either.
