Skip to main content

Charles Barkley calls Sixers' lack of head coach "a joke"

Charles Barkley called the Sixers' coaching search "one of the silliest things that I've seen in sports in a long time." (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

(Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

With August approaching, the Philadelphia 76ers remain the only NBA team without a head coach. In outspoken former star Charles Barkley's opinion, that fact is "a joke."

Appearing on Comcast SportsNet's "Philly Sports Talk" on Friday, Barkley voiced his disagreement with the Sixers' decision to allow their coaching search to drag on into late July.

Doug Collins, their coach of the last three years, resigned on April 18, and new general manager Sam Hinkie -- hired on May 11 -- has reached out to several candidates since joining the organization, with Sixers assistant Michael Curry and Spurs assistant Brett Brown seen as the two front runners.

From CSNPhilly.com:

"I think that's one of the silliest things that I've seen in sports in a long time," Barkley said on Comcast SportsNet's Friday edition of "Philly Sports Talk." "I'm in Philly during the summer as you know, and I'm watching and reading every day -- to not have a coach under contract by now, I think that's a joke. I don't know what they're waiting on. You're playing summer-league games, people need to know who's in charge. They got players who are playing in the summer league, they got assistant coaches coaching the team. You just can't bring somebody in, and him have instant credibility -- he has to build rapport with the players."

Curry coached the team to a 1-4 during the Summer League in Orlando from July 7-12.

called questions about his work ethic "nonsense"