Galveston Fires Back at Charles Barkley With Mysterious Series of Clever Billboards

Patrick Andres | May 2, 2024

A surfer walks down to the beach on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2020, near Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. / Courtney Sacco via Imagn Content

Galveston, Texas took it on the chin this weekend.

The Gulf of Mexico resort city—minding its own business during the NBA playoffs—suddenly gained notoriety when Hall of Fame forward and TNT analyst Charles Barkley proposed the city as an alternate vacation destination to Cancun for teams after uninspired playoff efforts.

"We're not even gonna send them to Cancun. We're gonna send them to Galveston with that dirty-a-- water," Barkley said after the New Orleans Pelicans lost 106-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the first round Saturday. "Y'all quit. Drive your a-- down to Galveston."

However, Galveston has struck back. Per TMZ, mysterious billboards taking shots at Barkley have sprung up around the city.

Messages include "Hey Charles, our water is cleaner than your golf swing," "Hey Charles, come on down—the water's fine!" and "Hey Charles, you've never turned down any of our great food."

All are signed, "Love, Galveston."

Who would've guessed a feud between a television personality and a city that has produced two NBA players ever—and a city close to one of Barkley's old teams, the Houston Rockets—would rank among the most compelling rivalries of these NBA playoffs?