NBA analyst Charles Barkley has publicly criticized fellow ESPN commentator Shams Charania for what Barkley described as an “unfair” early leak of this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player results.
The exchange surfaced on May 22, 2026, after Charania reported the MVP winner before the league’s official announcement. Barkley said releasing the information in advance deprived both the NBA and its fans of the anticipation surrounding the planned reveal.
Neither Barkley nor Charania has commented further on the matter since the initial remarks.
Source: New York Post
