On a CNN special hosted by Chris Cuomo on Thursday night about the religious freedom laws, former NBA great and TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley offered his opinion on that issue.

According to Barkley, he sees those laws as having more than meets the eye motivating them.

“Listen, I don’t think gay people went out to try to go after, they came out as a gay people let get that straight,” Barkley said. “I don’t — I think that’s absurd. And listen, don’t try to make this thing about the left or the right. That just politicians pandering to their group, trying to get elected.”

“This is just about discrimination,” he continued. “Listen, I saw your story about — if those people just want flowers, they’re not trying to trick you into their gay lifestyle spouse, they just want flowers. And love it, you know, typically of the South where I’m from, all these rednecks hide behind the Bible. That’s what they do, that’s one of the reason to South is behind in everything. They always hide behind the Bible, strictly about discrimination.”

(h/t Newsbusters)

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor