Barkley insists his Dubs fan hate didn't make him pick Celtics

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Charles Barkley and Dub Nation have had their spats over the years, but an entirely new chapter to the feud was written during the Warriors’ road to the 2022 NBA Finals.

Despite the Hall of Famer’s recent back-and-forths with Warriors fans during the playoffs -- including “you suck” barbs, a “Mavs in seven” chant and even an amusing horseback entrance -- Barkley claims his disdain for Dub Nation hasn’t impacted his analysis in recent weeks.

The assertion came during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" Tuesday, where Barkley picked the Boston Celtics to win the Finals over Golden State in six games (h/t Awful Announcing).

“No, not at all,” Barkley said when Patrick asked if his feud with Warriors fans influenced the pick. “Dude, I didn’t think the Mavericks could beat the Warriors, as I said, I just root for them ‘cause I hate the Warriors fans.”

Hate is a strong word, but it might just sum up Barkley’s relationship with those who root for the Warriors.

The animosity was well-documented on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” where Barkley is an analyst and provided commentary outside Chase Center for several of Golden State’s playoff games. Based on his comments Tuesday, however, it appears Barkley believes he can separate emotion from fact when providing hot takes.

But even though the 59-year-old NBA legend told Patrick he didn’t think the Dallas Mavericks could defeat the Warriors, he still -- incorrectly -- picked them to overpower Golden State in the Western Conference finals. Though he recognized a Mavs win would be a big upset, he believed Dallas would prevail when it came to small ball.

In picking the Celtics, Barkley seems to once again be leaning into his role as Dub Nation’s villain as he roots for Boston. As both parties know, the feeling is mutual -- but Barkley insists that’s not why he’s rolling with the Warriors’ opponents.

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“They used to have great fans when they were over in Oakland,” Barkley said of Warriors fans. “And now they’ve just got a bunch of jacka--es over in San Francisco. But that never factors in. I like the Celtics to win the series.”

Barkley won’t have any more on-air run-ins with Dub Nation during the Finals as the series airs on ABC, but as Game 1 between the Warriors and Celtics gets underway at Chase Center on Thursday, it’s clear both parties will have different rooting interests.

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