Charles Barkley calls out Magic players over questionable pregame moment

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Charles Barkley calls out Magic players over questionable pregame moment

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Apr 22, 2026 9:22 PM ET

Charles Barkley does not care much for the Orlando Magic’s way of showing affection for one another.

Magic teammates Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva went viral before Wednesday’s Game 2 against the Detroit Pistons over their curious moment together. Prior to taking the court at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., Bane and da Silva decided to bond by … bumping their lower torsos together.

The unusual moment was aired live on ESPN, which led to quite the reaction from Barkley. The Basketball Hall of Famer was quick to express his disapproval, saying in an exasperated tone, “Oh come on. Come on. Oh.”

Here is the video.

Charles Barkley was in disgust seeing Tristan da Silva and Desmond Bane's moves pic.twitter.com/eiMgUTt6QZ
— The Magic Way (@MagicFilmRoom) April 22, 2026

The “dance” between Bane and da Silva did not end up being very good luck for the Magic either. After going into halftime tied 46-46 with the Pistons, Orlando got absolutely flattened in the third quarter, getting outscored 38-16 to fall behind by an ugly 84-62 score through three quarters.

Meanwhile, there is some precedent for these kinds of antics as the Los Angeles Dodgers did a rather similar move during the playoffs a couple of years ago. But as for the 63-year-old Barkley, who played in the NBA from 1984-2000, he definitely has some complaints about the new generation.

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

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