Golden State Warriors fans got more than a 127–123 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night — they got a front-row seat to another cringeworthy Rick Barry moment. The Hall of Famer, celebrated for his underhanded free-throw genius but notorious for his sharp-tongued post-playing career antics, joined broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike during the telecast and quickly turned a discussion about free-throw technique into a viral-level awkward encounter.
The exchange began innocuously enough as the trio reacted to a pregame clip of Warriors guard Buddy Hield nailing an underhanded free throw. Barry, never one to mince words, immediately criticized Hield’s form as “terrible.” Azubuike, a former NBA player and Warriors alum, tried to relate, admitting he had once attempted the underhanded shot himself but struggled. That’s when the fireworks started.
“The thing about it is, is that you’re not a player,” Barry quipped, delivering a remark that left both co-hosts flabbergasted. Attempting to soften the blow, Fitzgerald and Azubuike tried to redirect the conversation, but Barry wasn’t done. He doubled down: “A real player would have learned how to do it properly, OK. If you really had the skills and the desire to do it, you would be a better free-throw shooter. But if I had taught you the right technique, you probably would’ve done it.”
Azubuike, who averaged 10.5 points per game in a five-year NBA career and maintained a solid 77% free-throw mark, could only respond with a stunned, “Shots fired from Rick Barry… All right, well, he’s a legend.” The awkward moment quickly became the talk of social media, as fans debated whether it was playful banter or Barry’s signature no-filter arrogance.
Fitzgerald and Azubuike tried to steer the conversation back to a celebratory tone, highlighting the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Warriors’ historic NBA championship sweep over the Washington Bullets. But Barry’s on-air reputation, forged over decades of blunt commentary and controversial incidents, made it nearly impossible to ignore the awkward burn. Longtime Warriors followers will remember Barry’s infamous 1981 NBA Finals broadcast gaffe, where he insulted Bill Russell, and his controversial KNBR radio career, including a heated email exchange over NBA coaching readiness before leaving the station in 2006.
After a commercial break, Fitzgerald lightened the mood with a humorous promise: “I promise I won’t bring that up, maybe on a golf course 50 more times.” Azubuike, still trying to make sense of the interaction, added: “I think he gets really sensitive if anyone says anything that he feels like is bad about the underhanded free throws. I wasn’t trying to go at him or anything with it.”
For Warriors fans, the incident was both cringeworthy and oddly entertaining — a reminder that Rick Barry’s personality is as explosive off the court as his underhanded free throws were on it. And with the next home game against the Utah Jazz looming Monday night, viewers will be watching closely, wondering whether Barry will settle down or create another unforgettable moment.
Whether you love him or groan at him, one thing is clear: Rick Barry on live TV is never boring.
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