Charles Barkley Gets Booed In San Francisco After Saying Homeless Need Help

Barkley had slammed the residents of San Francisco earlier this year while discussing the incoming All-Star game, initially saying he won't attend the weekend in a 'rat-infested' city.

"I’m not going to that rat-infested place out in San Francisco... San Francisco is not a beautiful city! Rats. Cats… Y’all are not gonna make me like San Francisco. No. Nope, nope, nope.”

Barkley was already on thin ice with the city's residents but it seems like the residents misinterpreted Barkley talking about homelessness as another shot at the city as a whole, not a call to action. 

Homelessness is a major problem for the city. The last official number of homeless residents released by the city came on January 30, 2024, with 8,323 people being their count. This was already a near-8% increase from 2022 and the figure might just be worse one year later now in 2025.

This is a rapidly expanding problem in many urban centers in the USA, with rising living costs, flat wages, and a stuttering economy. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities on earth, so it's unsurprising to see them suffer from this problem more than some neighboring areas.

After the recent Pacific Palisades fires, plenty more residents in California are now dealing with homelessness. Sometimes it's acts of God and sometimes it's a broken system, so Barkley wanting to find solutions isn't something that should be booed. The booing fans weren't necessarily even booing the idea of helping the homeless, it just came from a man whose previous opinions on the city have been harsh.

The glitz and glamor of the NBA All-Star Weekend will likely paper over the homeless issue, which wouldn't directly impact these high-profile individuals who'll be well taken care of throughout the weekend. However, it is admirable for Barkley to address the problem and make it clear he'd rather want solutions than mock the city for this.