SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The 2025 NBA All-Star Game is bringing out all the stars to the Bay Area, including sports commentator and former basketball player Kenny “The Jet” Smith.
Smith stopped by the KRON4 studio to chat with sports reporter Erin Wilson, who didn’t hesitate to address the elephant in the room — Smith’s Inside the NBA colleague Charles Barkley’s ongoing disdain for San Francisco. Smith’s first NBA team was the Sacramento Kings, where he played from 1987 to 1990.
Over the years, Barkley has often joked about not liking San Francisco. During a recent recap of an Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons game, he went on a rant about the city. “If [Cade Cunningham] don’t make the All-Star team, I’m not going,” said Barkley. “I’m not going to that rat-infested place out in San Francisco. San Francisco is not a beautiful city. You are not going to make me like San Francisco.”
Wilson asked Smith, “How do we win over Charles Barkley?”
“First of all, don’t try to win over Charles Barkley,” Smith said. “I played for the Sacramento Kings, I got drafted. I’ve been to the Bay Area, I have multiple friends here. My event’s going to be crowded because I know so many people here. But more importantly, the guy’s from Leeds, Alabama. No one’s even heard of Leeds! How can you evaluate a city when no one’s heard of your city? Have you ever been to Leeds, Alabama? How can he have the criteria of evaluation?”
The two-time NBA champion is hosting his annual celebrity charity poker tournament event during All-Star weekend and its goal is to raise more than $1 million for education reform.
The 2025 All-Star Game will take place Sunday at Chase Center, featuring four teams. Three were drafted by Inside the NBA analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal on Thursday night. The fourth team will be the champion of Friday night’s Rising Stars Game.
| Team Chuck | Team Kenny | Team Shaq |
| Nikola Jokic (DEN) | Jalen Brunson (NYK) | LeBron James (LAL) |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | Stephen Curry (GSW) |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | Darius Garland (CLE) | Kevin Durant (PHX) |
| Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | Cade Cunningham (DET) | James Harden (LAC) |
| Pascal Siakam (IND) | Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) | Anthony Davis (DAL) |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | Tyler Herro (MIA) | Damian Lillard (MIL) |
| Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | Evan Mobley (CLE) | Jayson Tatum (BOS) |
| Alperen Sengun (HOU) | Jalen Williams (OKC) | Jaylen Brown (BOS) |
The All-Star Game tips off at 5 p.m. PT on TNT. Events will be going on throughout the Bay Area all weekend.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The 2025 NBA All-Star Game is bringing out all the stars to the Bay Area, including sports commentator and former basketball player Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Smith stopped by the KRON4 studio to chat with sports reporter Erin Wilson, who didn’t hesitate to address the elephant in the room — Smith’s […]