Charles Barkley criticized the city of San Francisco during TNT’s broadcast of the NBA All-Star Game, comparing it unfavorably to Indianapolis.
He mentioned the heavy presence of homeless individuals and expressed concerns about safety.
His comments drew reactions from basketball players like Draymond Green and Candace Parker, who defended the city.
Charles Barkley saying San Francisco is full of homeless crooks was probably the best moment of the NBA All Star Game. pic.twitter.com/xwdfz4HARr
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 19, 2024
We love San Francisco,” Parker said.
“No we don’t,” Barkley said. “You can’t even walk around down there.”
“Yes you can walk around,” Green said.
“Yeah, with a bulletproof vest,” Barkley quipped.
The discussion highlighted issues of crime and drug use in San Francisco, with some residents expressing dismay over the situation.
“This is a disgrace. I’ve been to 50-plus countries and traveled the world. I’ve never seen anything like this,” San Fransisco resident Jeremy Bernier said.
“It’s just ground zero of the fentanyl crisis. You’ve got people literally smoking fentanyl, taking these drugs out on the streets. You’ve got the tents and camps while you’ve got a playground with children playing right nearby, and this is blocks away from the mayor’s office. It’s just unbelievable to me that a city and country with such immense wealth can have such blatant poverty and suffering,” he said.
San Francisco officials responded by stating that the city’s crime rate had decreased compared to previous years, although certain crimes like motor vehicle theft and robberies had seen increases in the past year.
Mayor London Breed emphasized ongoing efforts to improve public safety in the city and thanked various law enforcement agencies for their collaboration.
“Our work around public safety is making a difference, but we’ve got more work to do,” Breed said. “We are not letting up on our efforts to make San Francisco a safer and enjoyable city for everyone, and this includes continuing to ramp up police staffing and giving our local enforcement agencies the resources they need to do their job.”
“I want to thank our local, state, and federal public safety partners for their collaboration. Together we are sending a message that San Francisco won’t tolerate rampant crime and that there will be accountability.”
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