Charles Barkley blasts 'losers' who watched Monday's once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse

Charles Barkley has blasted people who went outside to observe the solar eclipse on Monday, describing them as 'losers' during an epic rant on TBS' NCAA Championship game halftime show.

The 61-year-old former Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets star wasn't afraid to share his opinion on the astronomical event, just hours after the solar eclipse returned to the U.S. for the first time since 2017. 

Clearly, he was much more interested in seeing a different rare convergence of two enormous phenomena: the battle of centers between Purdue's 7-ft-4 star Zach Edey and UConn's 7-ft-2 Donovan Clingan. 

'Were y'all some of them losers standing outside watching [the eclipse] today?' Chuck asked Ernie Johnson - the host of Monday's halftime show - and others panelists, including Clark Kellogg, Kenny Smith and Jay Wright. 

'They're not losers,' Johnson hit back. 

Charles Barkley said he couldn't understand the hype around Monday's solar eclipse on TBS

The solar eclipse crossed into the paths of 30million Americans as it went through 16 states

The next solar eclipse to come to North America is predicted for 2044, according to studies

'Yes, they are. Hey, we've all seen darkness before. Stop it,' Barkley responded. 

'Come on, Chuckster. Don't hate on the eclipse,' Johnson said. Moments later, he presumed that Barkley - the MVP of the 1992-93 NBA season - wasn't a 'fan.' 

'Well, I'm not going to sit outside like an idiot and wait on the darkness,' Chuck said. 'I could've waited... it's going to be dark outside tonight!'

College basketball fans who tuned into TBS to watch this year's NCAA Championship game had mixed reactions to the segment, with one user on X describing it as 'really awkward.' 

'I'm witch Chuck,' another said. 

Someone else tweeted: 'I'm with Chuck in his opinion of the value of watching the eclipse, but he shouldn't call folks who did losers.' 

A different person shared: 'Chuck has a way of cutting right through nonsense. He always has.' 

More than 30 million Americans live beneath the path of the total eclipse, as the moon's shadow crossed the Mexico-Texas border at lunchtime before appearing in 15 other states. The solar eclipse is next predicted to to come to North America in 2044.