Charles Barkley held nothing back.
The 63-year-old former NBA champion said he was disappointed in Adam Silver and Cathy Engelbert for not putting a stop to the debate over trans athletes in the WNBA sooner. His exact words: he supports the gay and trans community, but under no circumstances should men compete against women. Absolutely not.
The controversy was already heating up: Sophie Cunningham had questioned the same thing in July, and days ago Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from a game after a clash with Natasha Cloud over a T-shirt featuring the biological definition of “woman”. For some, Barkley is defending fairness in women’s sports. For others, he is oversimplifying an issue the WNBA itself called “complex and nuanced”.
Is Barkley right, or does the debate deserve more nuance than he gives it?
