Watch: Charles Barkley hilariously trolls Bulls-Raptors

Charles Barkley. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Charles Barkley hilariously trolls lowly Bulls, Raptors before prime-time matchup

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Jan 18, 2024 8:11 PM ET

The creation of the national sports television calendar is an inexact science. Sometimes, it's easy to put together a must-see matchup that millions will enjoy, but at other times, fans get stuck with a less-than-ideal contest between two uninspiring teams.

Such was the case on Thursday with the Chicago Bulls taking on the Toronto Raptors on TNT, leading to a predictable troll job from Hall of Famer and analyst Charles Barkley, who pleaded for the audience to tune in.

"Hey guys, I know we got the Bulls and the Raptors, but watch anyway!" - Charles Barkley with the big TNT promo pic.twitter.com/9pC9nsBFF3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 19, 2024

Barkley's half-serious comment makes all the sense in the world, as both the Bulls (19-23) and Raptors (16-25) entered the contest under .500.

Meanwhile, any hoops fans without NBA League Pass looking for their fix on Thursday night aren't likely to find it during the late window.

Following the Bulls-Raptors game, the Minnesota Timberwolves' game against the Memphis Grizzlies will take over the airwaves on TNT. The Timberwolves lead the Western Conference at 29-11, while only the Portland Trailblazers (11-29) and San Antonio Spurs (7-33) have a worse record than the Grizzlies (15-25), putting the contest squarely on blowout watch.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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