Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley previously picked his favorite to emerge as the 2026 Eastern Conference champion.
However, after seeing how they’ve performed in the playoffs’ opening round, the ‘Inside the NBA’ analyst appears to regret his decision.
Charles Barkley Backtracks on Cavaliers Pick
Following the blockbuster midseason trade that sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Donovan Mitchell-led squad gained steam as a title threat. One of the pundits who decided Cleveland was in pole position to win the East was Barkley.
However, after watching how the Cavaliers have fared against the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first round, Barkley apologized for his pick. The Hall of Famer voiced his regret midway through Wednesday’s tightly contested Game 5 clash.
While speaking on ‘Inside the NBA,’ Barkley said, “That was a great first half by Toronto. Everybody’s sharing the ball. That defense is unbelievable.”
Following his praise for the Raptors, he switched lanes and targeted Cleveland.
“I just want to apologize for picking the Cavs to get to the Finals,” Barkley added.
This statement drew laughter from his co-hosts, but it also led Ernie Johnson Jr. to bring up that they were only halfway through the contest.
“Ernie, what you see, no team’s going to get to the championship playing like the last three games,” Barkley argued. “They’ve played two bad games and a half in a row. They don’t value the basketball.”
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Barkley also pointed out that championship-caliber teams play with an urgency the Cavaliers just do not seem to have. Later, he was asked to clarify who he was apologizing to.
“America,” Barkley replied. “I’ve been bamboozled, hoodwinked, led astray.”
“I just wanna apologize for picking the Cavs to get to the Finals.”
Charles Barkley reacts to the first half of Raptors-Cavs 😅 pic.twitter.com/vA1AjLHTyH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 30, 2026
At halftime, the Cavaliers found themselves trailing 74-67. Up to that point in the contest, they were being completely outclassed, having hit only 50% of their shots compared to the Raptors’ 64.4%. They were also being outrebounded 20-15.
Any halftime speeches and adjustments did not seem to work, as the Raptors led throughout the third quarter. Things flipped during the game’s final frame, though, as the Cavaliers began to take over.
In the fourth quarter, Toronto went 7-for-28 as a team, running out of gas after star wing Brandon Ingram’s early exit due to right heel inflammation. Conversely, the Cavaliers hit 9 of their 19 attempts and took much better care of the ball.
By the midway point of the fourth quarter, they built an 11-point lead, marking their largest of the game. The Raptors threatened to seize the momentum once again, and even managed to chip away at their deficit and narrow it to 4 points, but Cleveland ultimately held on for a 125-120 victory to take a 3-2 series edge.
