Charles Barkley calls Canadians 'fools' for breaking Wayne Gretzky's heart over Trump friendship

Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley took purpose astatine Canadians who person been captious of NHL fable Wayne Gretzky successful caller weeks. 

Gretzky has travel nether scrutiny from Canadians for his relationship with President Donald Trump, and the hockey great's woman has said the disapproval near Gretzky "heartbroken." 

Barkley called these Canadians "fools." 

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Wayne Gretzky arrives for the inauguration ceremonial earlier Donald Trump is sworn successful arsenic the 47th President of the United States successful Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Imagn Images)

"You got them fools up successful Canada giving ‘The Great One’ a hard time," Barkley said during a conception connected Thursday’s "Inside the NBA." "Wayne Gretzky is the top hockey subordinate ever. He’s the nicest person."

Trump has go 1 of the astir arguable figures successful Canada since returning to bureau successful January aft suggesting the state should go America's 51st authorities and threatening to enforce tariffs connected Canadian imports into the U.S.

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Gretzky attended a triumph enactment aft Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris successful the 2024 election. Gretzky was spotted wearing a MAGA chapeau soon afterward and attended Trump's inauguration.

"Fools up successful Canada gave him a hard clip due to the fact that of the tariff with Trump and everything," Barkley said. "He has thing to bash with that. He played hockey. He’s the top hockey subordinate ever. He got nary power of what these fools bash down present successful our government." 

Center Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers successful enactment during a pregame skate earlier the commencement of the Rangers' crippled with the Florida Panthers astatine Miami Arena successful Miami, Fla., Oct. 8, 1996. (Zoran Milich/Allsport)

Trump has said helium asked Gretzky to go the adjacent "governor of Canada" aft Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced helium would beryllium resigning. But aft Gretzky expressed enactment for "Canada remaining a abstracted Country, alternatively than becoming a cherished and beauteous 51st State," Trump declared Gretzky a "free agent."

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"I don’t privation anyone successful Canada to accidental thing atrocious astir him. He supports Canada the mode it is, arsenic helium should, adjacent though it’s not astir arsenic bully arsenic it could beryllium arsenic portion of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country successful the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!" Trump wrote successful a Truth Social post.

Gretzky's relationship and interactions with Trump during the contention prompted harsh backlash against the hockey fable from Canadians, adjacent though he's been universally beloved successful the state since his playing career. 

The New York Rangers' Wayne Gretzky celebrates a extremity successful the 3rd play of a crippled against the Dallas Stars successful Dallas Nov. 7, 1997.  (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

In response, chap Canadian hockey fable Bobby Orr wrote a file successful the Toronto Sun expressing disappointment erstwhile helium work disapproval of Gretzky. 

"How fickle tin radical be, erstwhile idiosyncratic who has fixed truthful overmuch clip and effort to Canadian hockey is treated successful specified a way," Orr’s file said. "Listen, we each person our idiosyncratic beliefs arsenic they pertain to things specified arsenic religion and politics. Wayne respects your close to specified beliefs – wherefore can’t you respect his?"

Gretzky's wife, Janet Gretzky, past shared Orr's file connected societal media, indicating the disapproval had "broken his heart."

"Thank you Mr. Bobby Orr. Your words mean the satellite to Wayne and his family, I person ne'er met anyone who is much arrogant to beryllium a Canadian and it has breached his bosom to work and spot the mean comments… He would bash thing to marque Canadians proud, with his emotion for hockey and his country," Janet wrote successful an Instagram post sharing Orr's column.

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