TNT analyst Charles Barkley apologized Wednesday for his comments regarding Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
"I said something that I shouldn't have said," Barkley said on Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "I want to be man enough to apologize. I was 100 percent wrong."
During the Game 2 telecast on TNT on Tuesday night, Barkley said, "I just want somebody to punch him in the face," as the broadcast crew watched highlights of Green and Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo get in each other's face at the close of the first half.
"A lot of guys talk on TV," Green said after the game, when he learned of Barkley's comments. "If you feel that strongly about something, he's even seen me a million times, then punch me in my face when you see me. If you're not going to punch me in my face when you see me, then shut up."
Barkley clarified his comments Wednesday.
"I wasn't literally going to fight an NBA player," he said. "If he took it like that, I apologize."
He went on to say that he "probably said the same thing about Dennis Rodman, but I thought I actually did punch him when he played."
Barkley, who called Green "annoying," connected him with players such as Rodman and Bill Laimbeer, who were teammates with the Detroit Pistons for seven seasons in the late 1980s and early '90s.
"Those guys who are irritants who are all good players, but they can be annoying at times," Barkley said. "But like I said, I was wrong when I said it, and I shouldn't have said it."
Barkley said he found Green, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, annoying because teams don't guard him, and then when Green makes a 3, he yells at the opposing coach.
The Warriors won the game 121-116 on Tuesday, taking a 2-0 series lead on the Pelicans in the Western Conference semifinals.