Charles Barkley Calls Canadians 'Fools' for Breaking Wayne Gretzky's Heart Over Trump Friendship

Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley has stirred the pot again, this time criticizing Canadians who have been harshly judging NHL legend Wayne Gretzky for his friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Gretzky's wife, the backlash has left the hockey icon "heartbroken."

Barkley, never one to mince words, labeled the critics as "fools" during a Thursday segment of "Inside the NBA." "You got them fools up in Canada giving ‘The Great One’ a hard time," he said. "Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player ever. He’s the nicest person."

The controversy stems from Gretzky's public appearances with Trump. The hockey legend attended a victory party after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and was seen sporting a MAGA hat shortly thereafter. He also attended Trump’s inauguration, which did not escape attention from Canadian fans. It seems some Canadians have taken issue with Gretzky’s association with such a polarizing political figure, especially after Trump made comments about Canada potentially becoming the 51st U.S. state and hinted at imposing tariffs on Canadian imports.

Barkley, however, wasn’t having any of it. "Fools up in Canada gave him a hard time because of the tariff with Trump and everything," he 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." Well, if there’s one thing Barkley does best, it’s calling it as he sees it.

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump jokingly suggested Gretzky could become the "governor of Canada" after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement. However, Gretzky diplomatically endorsed Canada staying independent rather than joining the U.S. "as the 51st state." Trump, in true Trump fashion, later called Gretzky a "free agent." Because why not add a sprinkle of sports lingo to geopolitics?

The public backlash hasn’t sat well with Gretzky or his family. Fellow Canadian hockey legend Bobby Orr came to his defense in a column for the Toronto Sun, describing the criticism as "fickle." Orr wrote, "How fickle can people be, when someone who has given so much time and effort to Canadian hockey is treated in such a way? Wayne respects your right to such beliefs – why can’t you respect his?" Orr’s words were later amplified by Gretzky’s wife, Janet, who shared the column on social media, expressing how deeply the negativity had affected her husband. "It has broken his heart to read and see the mean comments," she wrote.

For a man who’s universally adored in his homeland, this backlash must feel deeply personal. Whether you agree with Gretzky’s politics or not, it’s hard to deny the towering legacy he’s built—not just in hockey, but as a proud Canadian figure. Maybe Barkley’s blunt defense will remind critics to cut "The Great One" some slack.