Charles Barkley said E.J. Liddell's online abuse is why he will never join social media

Ryan Young
·Staff writer
·2 min read
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NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley isn’t on social media anywhere, and he isn’t going to be joining anytime soon.

The abuse that Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell received after their stunning first round loss in the NCAA tournament on Friday is exactly why Barkley is staying away.

“You guys give me a hard time because I refuse and will never do any type of social media, this is the reason why … I am never going to deal and dignify these losers and interact with them ever,” Barkley said on Saturday morning. “I don’t care how much money somebody offers me, I am never going to do social media because of this.”

Barkley to Liddell abusers: ‘You’re just a freaking loser'

Liddell shared screenshots of several horrific direct messages he received on Instagram on Friday night, just hours after they were knocked out of the tournament by Oral Roberts.

The messages included racial slurs and death threats.

“F***ing disgrace,” a fan wrote. “Don’t ever show your face at Ohio State. We hate you. I hope you die, I really do.”

Liddell — who put up a team-high 23 points and 14 rebounds in the overtime loss — was stunned.

“Honestly, what did I do to deserve this? I’m human,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann issued a statement condemning the social media attacks, and vowing that Ohio State will “take the necessary actions to address this.”

Barkley called out the abusers directly ahead of Saturday’s slate of games, and didn’t hold back.

“For a kid, No. 1, he had a great game,” he said. “But for you to give the kid death threats and to hurl racial slurs at him because you're safe in your own home like a coward behind a computer and nobody knows how you are, you need to take a hard look at yourself in the mirror … But why would you sit at your house and tweet or send something to a kid that’s No. 1 after he lost a stupid basketball game and give him death threats or hurl racial slurs, you need to take a good look in the mirror and realize you’re just a freaking loser.”

E.J. Liddell #32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell received death threats and other horrific messages on social media after their first round loss in the NCAA tournament. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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