Charles Barkley is 'not a big Christmas fan'

Charles Barkley's middle name might be Grinch.

In an appearance on ESPN's "Mike & Mike" radio show, the NBA legend proclaimed he does not like Christmas - seriously.

"Man, ya know, Christmas is not a lot of fun for me. It’s just a big waste of money," he said. "When you’re black and rich, everybody thinks they’re a part of your family. Everybody is a relative. Everybody wants a really nice gift. It’s like your family members, one year you buy them a house, the next year you buy them a car, the next year you buy them a sweater. They look at you like, 'You only got me a sweater?'

"They always want the gifts to escalate, so you can’t ever get them a sweater if you bought them a house the year before because they get pissed. I’m not a big Christmas fan. I’m a firm believer that Santa Claus should only bring kids gifts. I think Santa Claus should bring everybody gifts until they get out of high school, and then that’s it. That’s my personal opinion."

Maybe the NBA on TNT crew can hook Chuck up with some Soda Shaq beverages for Christmas. That ought to make him feel better about the holiday.

- With h/t to For The Win