Charles Barkley: "Nobody Cares About the Miami Heat"

America's favorite loudmouthed basketball has-been Charles Barkley and Heat star Dwyane Wade might costar in a series of cell phone commercials, but Barkley hasn't let that dampen his criticism of the Heat. The Heat finally pulled out another victory last night against the Lakers, but they certainly haven't won over Barkley's heart. The TNT analyst let the Heat have it multiple times during his commentary on the game.

From the Palm Beach Post:

"Listen, I like Dwyane [Wade] a lot and I like LeBron [James] a lot. They are really starting to get on my last damn nerve. I've heard Dwyane say it twice and I've heard LeBron say it twice, that America is happy now that the Miami Heat are losing. Dwyane, let me break it to you, you know I love you, but nobody cares about the Miami Heat. The only people who hate the Miami Heat are the Cleveland fans. No one else cares about you. We just want you to play better, stop whining, stop sitting at every press conference like someone killed the family pet. It's annoying. You guys came out there jumping on stage like idiots, said, 'we are going to win five championships.' You brought all this stuff on yourself. So don't get on TV and act like the world owes you anything. You guys had your parade, you guys said that. Nobody said, 'come on stage and dance around.' Nobody said, 'you're going to win five championships,' you guys did. So quit whining and bitching like a little girl.

"I will make one basketball suggestion. I think the ball should be in Dwyane Wade's hands when the game gets on the line. He's a proven closer, it's his city and it's his team. I love LeBron and I respect LeBron, but Dwyane Wade has got to be the closer.

"[The Heat] have got basketball issues. They have played together long enough to have it together. They've got two great players in Dwyane [Wade] and LeBron [James] and [Chris] Bosh is a good player, but they are all jump shooters. They don't get any easy baskets and their half-court offense stinks.

"Chris Bosh needs to quit whining. Come on, he is not a post-up player like that. Chris Bosh is really a small forward playing power forward. He just needs to get some bigger guys. Every time the Lakers' big guys get the ball they score down there. It's an easy one and move and get to the basket. I like Chris Bosh, good player, nice kid, but this notion that they can just get him the ball... how did that work out in Toronto?"