San Francisco fans boo Charles Barkley after he says the city needs to help the homeless: 'Some of these people so stupid'

Fans in San Francisco were not happy to see Hall of Fame player Charles Barkley for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game after he called the city "the armpit of America."

Barkley and the beloved "NBA on TNT" cast that includes Shaquille O'Neal were in town for the yearly celebration as fans gathered outside the Chase Center in anticipation. Barkley was immediately accosted with loud boos from the outside, which quickly turned into angry chants.

"F*** you Chuck! F*** you Chuck!" the crowd screamed from behind the broadcast desk.

With what seemed like hundreds of phones recording the action, Barkley then spun around in his chair and gave the crowd two middle fingers. Strangely, this pleased the mob, who then began laughing and cheering.

Barkley has never pulled punches when describing how he feels about San Francisco, declaring it is "not a beautiful city" and characterizing it as "rat-infested" during broadcasts.

"Y'all are not gonna make me like San Francisco," Barkley said in January when discussing the upcoming trip.

In fact, Barkley made similar remarks during the broadcast of the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana, when he described the city as being filled with "homeless crooks."

'We need to clean it up a little bit.'

In 2025, fans made sure Barkley did not feel welcomed on the inside of the arena, either. While talking to his co-hosts, the former Phoenix Suns forward thought he was giving positive remarks about the city but was still met with a swarm of boos.

"I actually like San Francisco, I really do," Barkley began. "Obviously, we got to do something about the homeless. They need help. We need to clean it up a little bit," he added.

Fans immediately reacted to the statement with boos, which confused the panel.

"You can't boo that you want to help the homeless," host and former NBA player Kenny Smith reacted.

"Badly timed boo," host Ernie Johnson added.

Barkley took this as the perfect opportunity to take another shot at the city.

"I say 'help the homeless,' and some of these people [are] so stupid they boo."

According to the Daily Mail, Barkley spent his Saturday during All-Star weekend by volunteering at a church in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, an area known for its rampant homelessness. The former player fed the locals and even vowed to donate $250,000 to an organization that claims to tackle poverty and social justice.

An All-Star team coach by O'Neal ended up winning the NBA All-Star tournament with a 41-25 victory over Barkley's team.

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