Morgan Barron really displayed what kind of warriors NHL players are earlier this playoff. The Winnipeg Jets forward took a skate to the face and was forced to leave the ice to receive over 75 stitches. It was also close to his right eye, and that kind of injury would make every person sit out a game. But Barron had other ideas.
He rushed back from the locker room onto the bench and returned to the game with a full cage and a nasty cut above his eye.
The incident received a lot of attention in the world of sports. Many thought of Barron’s actions as brave and the ultimate proof that hockey players are a different breed. If you occasionally watch soccer, it’s the direct opposite of hockey.
In soccer, the largest sport in the world, players lie down after every contact, and they’re not really known for their grit.
And that even goes for basketball, at least according to Charles Barkley. The NBA Hall of Famer recently appeared on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and said that if an NBA player had suffered the same injury that Barron did, they would retire—in contrast to what Barron did.
”I saw a guy get 70 stitches and come back in the game the other night. I was like, yeah, man, if an NBA player got 75, he’d retire,” Barkley said.
”He’d be like, ’Yeah, I’m not doing this anymore.’ He like, ’I’m taking my Max deal. Yeah, he’s like, ’I’m taking my Max deal and go home.’”
It’s not the first time Charles Barkley talks great about hockey. Earlier this playoff, during a basketball broadcast on TNT, he said that he’d rather watch an Edmonton Oilers game than the NBA playoffs game that TNT broadcasted.
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