Sports commentator Charles Barkley delivered several joking body blows to actor Jussie Smollett after the actor was arrested in Chicago and charged with orchestrating a hoax hate crime.

Barkley had his co-workers rolling as he slammed the actor during TNT’s half-time coverage of the Houston Rockets-Los Angeles Lakers game on Thursday, Daily Mail reported.

The former 76ers star began by musing, “Two black guys beating a black guy up… Just thinking out loud.

“America, let me just tell you something,” Barkley said addressing the camera. “Do not commit crimes with checks,” he quipped as his fellow commentators chuckled.

“Come on, man. If you’re gonna break the law, do not write a check. … Get cash, man!” Barkley added.

Barkley also slapped at Smollett for claim his “attackers” were Donald Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and yelling Trump slogans.

As his fellow hosts laughed, Barkley riffed on the recent story told by actor Liam Neeson who claimed he once wanted to kill a black person.

“Jussie, you wasted all that damn time and money,” Barkley joked. “You know what you shoulda did? Just went up to Liam Neeson’s neighborhood. You coulda solved all your damn problems.”

Barkley also criticized the two Nigerian men that police say were hired for the attack because they bought all their supplies at the same store at the same time.

Charles Barkley and Inside The NBA clowning Jussie Smollett pic.twitter.com/qnEHlTTrnT — gifdsports (@gifdsports) February 22, 2019

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.