LeBron James has made it clear that he won’t be talking about the tenuous situation between China and the NBA anymore. But that doesn’t mean other high-profile members of the basketball community won’t continue to be asked about it. While standing outside of an airport, TNT analyst and Hall-of-Famer, Charles Barkley, was approached by a reporter from TMZ to get his opinion on the subject.

After first asking Barkley if he and his co-hosts will be allowed to discuss the China issue during “Inside The NBA” this season, the conversation quickly shifted to LeBron. Barkley was steadfast in his defense of James during the interview, saying he felt the backlash to LeBron’s China comments were unfair. Sir Charles also made the point that LeBron should not be singled out while other American businesses are able to continue to operate and make money in China.

Charles Barkley Defends LeBron James, Says China Criticism Is 'Really Unfair' https://t.co/PALgzPPHoD — TMZ (@TMZ) October 21, 2019

“I thought everybody was really unfair to LeBron,” Barkley told TMZ. “Everybody does business in China. Every American company does business in China. Why should LeBron not be able to protect his financial interests? “Everybody don’t have to pick every battle to fight … LeBron is passionate about the things he wants to be passionate about. We don’t get to tell him what we want him to talk about. Why do all these other companies get to invest in China and LeBron doesn’t have to protect his business interests?”

It will be interesting to see how Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Barkley handle this subject when the NBA season tips off tomorrow. In the event they are requested not to discuss it for whatever reason, though, we already know where Charles stands.