“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment,” the NBA legend LeBron James wasn’t late to the party when Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky‘s incredible 894 career goal record. And yet, the admiration and mutual respect didn’t stop from comparing the basketball icon with the Washington Capitals captain. And now, with the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs on the roll, Charles Barkley has entered the conversation, and, this time, it’s the NHL fans who have something to say about it.
The retired 76ers star hung up his professional shoes a long, long time ago. However, the thrill of sports kept Barkley coming back, in roles other than being the basketball power forward that fans knew him as. With the hockey postseason in full swing, Charles again had predictions to drop, and fans aren’t sold on his thought process.
In an X post by B/R Open Ice from April 19, Barkley could be heard revealing his picks for the first round playoffs. “Chuck’s Stanley Cup Playoff bracket is a GUAR-AN-TEED lock,” reads the caption of the post, as Chuck goes on to make several predictions based on his personal analyses of the performances of the teams that have made it beyond the regular season.
However, despite the predictions coming from a veteran sportsman like Charles Barkley, NHL fans weren’t ready to accept them. Instead, they insisted that the hockey waters should remain uncharted territories for the former basketball star. “You should probably stick to NBA,” one fan stated flatly. From the look of things, it seems like the hockey community still isn’t ready to bury its hatchet with the basketball clan for its targeted potshots at Ovie.
Chuck’s Stanley Cup Playoff bracket is a GUAR-AN-TEED lock pic.twitter.com/RWkj2Cd7Hs
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 20, 2025
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The post NHL Fans Snub Charles Barkley’s Staney Cup Predictions Days After Alex Ovechkin vs LeBron James Debate appeared first on EssentiallySports.
