Former basketball superstar Charles Barkley ripped into “nobody” Tucker Carlson Thursday for his attack on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

“Now, I’m a Christian,” Carlson had announced while guest hosting on Fox News last month. “I believe fervently in second chances but Michael Vick killed dogs and he did it in a heartless and cruel way and I think, personally, he should have been executed for that.”

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Carlson backed off his comments earlier this week, saying he “overspoke,” but it was too late. He had already raised the ire of Sir Charles.

“There’s some idiot on another station named Tucker Carlson, who called out Michael Vick,” Barkley said during halftime of a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.

“Number one, Michael Vick, we’re all pulling for you, man. Keep doing your thing, you paid your debt to society, good luck to y’all in the playoffs.”

“Tucker Carlson, who’s a nobody, he used to work for us over here, we fired him, because he sucked. Now he goes over there … He said Michael Vick should be executed, which is total B.S.,” he continued.

“TV is a very powerful thing, but you just can’t get on here and say anything. He should have never said that. Michael Vick paid his debt to society and we’re all pulling for him,” Barkley added.

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Carlson is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the conservative website The Daily Caller. He also works as a commentator for the Fox News Channel.

This video is from TNT, uploaded to YouTube Jan. 6, 2011.