Charles Barkley Reveals Why He Has 'Hate' for NHL Player

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Samuel Kingery | Last updated May 25, 2025 10:41 PM ET

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has never been one to mince words when sharing his opinion.

Barkley recently went on the record in an interview about how he feels about Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones.

"I hate Seth Jones, I really do," Barkley said per NHL on TNT.

The reason is not Jones' play on the ice, personality, or attitude. Barkley has a more personal reason for disliking the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

"His dad, I played in the NBA for all those years; his dad was the only person who kicked my ass all the time," Barkley said per NHL on TNT.

Jones is the son of Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones, who had an 11-year NBA career spanning from 1993 to 2004. He was taken with the 41st pick in the second round of the 1992 NBA draft.

"I never had any success against Popeye Jones, and to this day, I have no idea why. So I will always hate Seth Jones because of his dad," said Barkley per NHL on TNT.

Statistically, Sir Charles had plenty of success versus Popeye Jones, winning nine games out of the 10 they played head to head. He averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds in those games, which is right in line with his career average.

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So why does Barkley claim that the elder Jones had such success against him? It could be that in six of their matchups, Barkley shot below his career 54.1 field goal percentage.

Seth Jones has yet to say anything about Barkley's comments. He is busy in the midst of a playoff run, where the Panthers are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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