Charles Barkley defends NBA’s salary cap rule after Boston Celtics break up roster

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has always sought to innovate and introduce new rules to maintain competitive balance across the league, aiming to keep teams in check and prevent the formation of overwhelming “superteams.”

However, one rule that has drawn significant criticism is the second apron tax. The second apron restricts high-spending teams from exceeding the salary cap threshold, imposing strict consequences on those that do in order to maintain parity across the league.

The rule has already reshaped rosters. The Boston Celtics, fresh off their 2024 NBA championship, were forced to dismantle parts of their title-winning core. They traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis while losing Luke Kornet and Al Horford in free agency — moves that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens admitted were necessary to avoid the penalties tied to the second apron.

Other teams may soon follow in Boston’s footsteps, fueling widespread criticism of the rule. Yet Naismith Hall of Famer Charles Barkley came to its defense during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, arguing that the players themselves are responsible for its existence.

“Why did they have to come up with bullshit rules, Bill? Because all these guys want to play together and not compete. How many great players do you need on one team? Why did Adam Silver have to put the second apron in? Because LeBron James got all his guys together. Kevin Durant wanted to go play with the Warriors. You all don’t want to win a championship and just compete against each other? Don’t get mad at Adam Silver because all you all want to play together and dominated the league because you all don’t want to compete. I hate when I hear, ‘Man the second apron’s not fair.’ What do you mean it’s not fair? If you all stopped wanting to play together, we wouldn’t have to make up bogus ass rules to stop you all from playing together,” Barkley said.

“What do you mean it’s not fair?”

Charles Barkley defends the NBA’s second apron. pic.twitter.com/nONbxuWZPY

— The Ringer (@ringer) September 3, 2025

Barkley has long been outspoken against the rise of NBA superteams, and the second apron directly targets that trend. At present, only the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, resemble a superteam — though their vast cache of draft picks makes them an outlier unlikely to face the same fate as Boston.

The 62-year-old admitted the rule is imperfect but necessary.

“This is a bogus rule, I agree with you, but if all these guys didn’t want to play together, Adam Silver wouldn’t have had to make up rules,” he added.

Teams will operate under the second apron until the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires in 2030, unless either side opts out in 2029. The future of the second apron remains uncertain, and many expect the players’ union to push back once the agreement comes under review.

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