Former Rockets Star's In-Game Advice for Spurs Could Have Changed Game 5 Outcome

The 2026 NBA Finals were capped off on Saturday night by the New York Knicks in Game 5. New York trailed the San Antonio Spurs all throughout the game.

Which has been the case all throughout the series. The Spurs had a viable opportunity to close out Game 4 with a win, were it not for a late game blunder by Spurs superstar point guard De'Aaron Fox.

Fox had the ball in his hands with 13 seconds left on the clock and could have dribbled the clock down, forcing the Knicks to foul him, with the Spurs up 106-105. Instead, he went up for a lay up, which was blocked by Knicks wing OG Anunoby, giving New York another possession, which ultimately became the fatal punch.

Former Houston Rockets All-Star forward Charles Barkley ripped the Spurs on ESPN's Inside the NBA after that game, citing them as the "dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization."

During halftime of Game 5, Barkley provided a bit of advice for Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on the same set, which seemingly would have made a difference in the overall outcome.

"I hate to say this. He gotta go with Castle and Harper. You've got to take Fox out of the game.

I hate saying that because I'm a big De'Aaron Fox fan. But if you are Coach Johnson, you can't be worried about people's feelings out here."

Barkley never holds back, we know this. He didn't hold back as a player and has even less of a filter in his post-playing afterlife.

He seemed to have a sensible point here, however. Fox went scoreless in the game's final period, despite taking four shots. He also played for the final seven minutes of the game (technically he entered the game with 6:50 remaining).

The Knicks trailed 83-79 at that point of the game, in which Fox was substituted in for Stephon Castle. By the time Castle came back in, three minutes later, the Knicks were up 86-85.

Earlier in the series, Barkley advised the Knicks to play with a level of desperation in Game 3, referencing his own blown postseason leads against the Rockets in consecutive postseason appearances as a member of the Phoenix Suns in the 1990s.

Of course, Barkley and Scottie Pippen once had a famous feud when the two were Rockets teammates during the 1998-99 season.

Barkley stated that he would get arrested for murder if Pippen didn't apologize for questioning his conditioning and criticizing his physique. Again, Barkley doesn't hold back.

Barkley has also maintained that the Rockets owe him $5 million, dating back to his four years with the franchise from 1996 through 2000.

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