TNT college basketball analyst Charles Barkley on air before the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament between the Michigan Wolverines and the Connecticut Huskies at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Getty Images/Mitchell Layton
The Spurs and Knicks weren’t the only ones squaring off on Wednesday, June 3. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones used a live television appearance to finally take a few playful shots before Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Charles Barkley over years of jokes aimed at the Alamo City.
Jones appeared on ESPN’s Inside the NBA broadcast on Wednesday night, when she addressed Barkley’s long-running feud with San Antonio.
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“I learned a long time ago: you can’t teach courage, you can’t teach class,” Jones said while Barkley sat nearby on set. “And Mr. Barkley reminds us of that.”
The remark drew laughter from the panel, including Barkley himself. Jones later presented the Hall of Famer-turned-broadcaster with churros, a playful callback to one of the most famous running jokes in sports television.
On Thursday morning, June 4, Jones took to social media sharing, “Not the outcome we wanted last night, but roasting [Charles Barkley] and talking about how great our city and our [Spurs] ares is always a W. Bring on Game 2!”
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Barkley’s history with San Antonio dates back to at least 2010, when he joked on Inside the NBA that the city didn’t have any skinny women. Over the years, the comments evolved into repeated references to San Antonio’s “big ol’ women” and their supposed love of churros, becoming a recurring segment on the popular TNT show.
The jokes didn’t always sit well with locals. San Antonio residents frequently fired back at Barkley. In 2014, a shirt worn by the then-girlfriend of Spurs legend Tim Duncan carried the message, “Barkley don’t know.”
That same year, Barkley made it clear he had no plans to apologize.
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“If you don’t like me or the show, turn it off,” he said during an on-air response to critics. “But if y’all waiting on me to apologize, hell gonna freeze over.”
Three years later, in 2017, Barkley offered what many viewed as only a partial apology. After trying churros himself, he joked that he finally understood the appeal before once again referencing San Antonio’s “big ol’ women.”
“I want to apologize to the women of San Antonio. Ernie, I had churros last night. I see what all the excitement is about! I had churros last night. Man … them damn things good, Ernie. Them churros good. I see why they got all them big ol’ women down in San Antonio. Man, them churros are the bomb!”
More than 15 years after the jokes began, the rivalry remains a quirky part of NBA culture.
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San Antonio Spurs players Stephon Castle (No. 5), Victor Wembanyama (No. 1), and De’aaron Fox (No. 4) react during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 3, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
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When is Game 2 of the NBA Finals?
Game 2 between the Spurs and Knicks is scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. CT at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
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The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC, with streaming available through participating TV providers via ABC and ESPN platforms.
The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 after defeating San Antonio 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.