Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley took aim at Canadians who have been critical of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky in recent weeks.
Gretzky has come under scrutiny from Canadians for his friendship with President Donald Trump, and the hockey great’s wife has said the criticism left Gretzky “heartbroken.”
Barkley called these Canadians “fools.”
“You got them fools up in Canada giving ‘The Great One’ a hard time,” Barkley said during a segment on Thursday’s “Inside the NBA.” “Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player ever. He’s the nicest person.”
Trump has become one of the most controversial figures in Canada since returning to office in January after suggesting the country should become America’s 51st state and threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian imports into the U.S.
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Gretzky attended a victory party after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Gretzky was spotted wearing a MAGA hat shortly afterward and attended Trump’s inauguration.
“Fools up in Canada gave him a hard time because of the tariff with Trump and everything,” Barkley said. “He has nothing to do with that. He played hockey. He’s the greatest hockey player ever. He got no control of what these fools do down here in our government.”
Trump has said he asked Gretzky to become the next “governor of Canada” after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would be resigning. But after Gretzky expressed support for “Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State,” Trump declared Gretzky a “free agent.”
“I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him. He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Gretzky’s friendship and interactions with Trump during the controversy prompted harsh backlash against the hockey legend from Canadians, even though he’s been universally beloved in the country since his playing career.
In response, fellow Canadian hockey legend Bobby Orr wrote a column in the Toronto Sun expressing disappointment when he read criticism of Gretzky.
“How fickle can people be, when someone who has given so much time and effort to Canadian hockey is treated in such a way,” Orr’s column said. “Listen, we all have our personal beliefs as they pertain to things such as religion and politics. Wayne respects your right to such beliefs – why can’t you respect his?”
Gretzky’s wife, Janet Gretzky, then shared Orr’s column on social media, indicating the criticism had “broken his heart.”
“Thank you Mr. Bobby Orr. Your words mean the world to Wayne and his family, I have never met anyone who is more proud to be a Canadian and it has broken his heart to read and see the mean comments… He would do anything to make Canadians proud, with his love for hockey and his country,” Janet wrote in an Instagram post sharing Orr’s column.
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