Charles Barkley 'SNL' Monologue (VIDEO)

Charles Barkley returned to host Saturday Night Live for the third time this weekend, and he kicked things off with a self-aware opening monologue that featured more jokes about himself than anyone else. Not that he didn't take the occasional swipe at his NBA brethren.

After a crack about both his own gambling and the improbability of his hosting the sketch show again, Barkley tackled the NBA strike with signature bravado.

I'm so happy the NBA strike is over. The strike was complicated; it had so many sides to it. But in a nutshell, the problem is ever since I left, the NBA's been crap and everybody's broke. The end.

After that he moved onto a few cracks about his highly publicized Weight Watchers partnership, which led to a playfully pointed swipe at friend Michael Jordan, followed by a graphic for Barkley's new Ann Taylor line of clothing.

Check out Barkley's full monologue above and let us know what you thought of his episode in the comments.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[BobLobblaw]

03:57 PM on 01/09/2012

I coulda done that monologue better with a mouth full of peanut butter.

[YanksWS96]

09:55 AM on 01/09/2012

Charles Barkley is pretty funny, but the episode was a letdown, especially after the great pre-Christmas Jimmy Fallon episode.

I did enjoy the "Lord Windemere" skit though. Bring me my sweets!!

[mheinznyc]

09:26 AM on 01/09/2012

I love any celebrity that can poke fun at themselves. Great job, Charles !

[Ossit]

09:21 AM on 01/09/2012

Riiight! You made and then broke the NBA when you left? NOT! They gave you a job so don't knock 'em! Ooops! I mean your joke writers shouldn't knock 'em. I've seen Barkley. He doesn't seem like a very nice fella.

[USMAMule]

10:30 AM on 01/09/2012

IT WAS A JOKE! Not an editorial. Geeze.

[Ossit]

07:16 AM on 01/11/2012

Very bad joke, USMAMule. "Geeze"!

[GlassMask]

09:14 AM on 01/09/2012

Charles Barkley read his cue cards as well as a 3rd grader reading aloud in class, but with less enthusiasm and no sense of comic timing. His facial expression and vocal timbre never varied from flat, monotonous, boring droning.

Please stop letting sports figures with no on-camera persona do tv and movies. Let them play sports, but don't confuse them with any other form of entertainment.

[Highly Opinionated]

08:41 AM on 01/09/2012

SNL has an obsession with the Republican candidates. How many tacky, tasteless, childish jokes can you sit through about Michelle Bachman's eyes? SNL is supposed to be so cutting edge , but had to run Mrs. Bachman through one more time even though she is no longer a candidate and off the radar. Can you imagine the jokes if J.W.Schultz or Barney Frank were a Republican? I think they got the memo to keep hands and jokes off the Democrats.

[USMAMule]

10:34 AM on 01/09/2012

Perhaps you don't have a good enough memory to remember the last Presidential campaign period. Hillary Clinton was quite the butt of SNL jokes along with the rest. The jokes are on the Republican Candidates because they're the one vying for the nomination. Maybe you didn't know it but President Obama is unopposed for the Democratic Party's nomination....hence much fewer fire works in their primary season.

[Highly Opinionated]

01:02 PM on 01/09/2012

I do remember. Bush was a pinata. Obama except for mild teasing about being put on a pillow by the press, was adored.

[handiestguy]

08:06 AM on 01/09/2012

I wonder if a white basketball player spit on a little black child in the audience, at a NBA game, if he would be hosting SNL, or be on a network sports show.....just wondering.

[ralp817]

08:22 AM on 01/09/2012

stop wondering, you'll hurt yourself

[katylied]

08:29 AM on 01/09/2012

lol

[katylied]

07:46 AM on 01/09/2012

My favorite line from Charles was when during an NBA game, after a really bad shot, he said, "Have you ever noticed Gatorade doesn't work on players that s u c k?" I almost fell out of my chair laughing. He tells it like it is!

[LDM123]

02:13 PM on 01/10/2012

Or when he told Marv Albert in a post-game interview after playing the Rockets "he was all over me like that cheap suit you're wearing".

[thetruckerking]

07:32 AM on 01/09/2012

I haven't seen Sir Charles on latenight TV and I wouldn't watch SNL if you paid me but as an NBA commentater, he rules. He is outspoken, funny, able to laugh at himself and tells things like they are. When he was busted for drunk driving and the cops ask him where he was headed in such a hurry he told them he was on his way to see a hooker. Not just any hooker but the best hooker ever and they'd be in a hurry too if they were going to see her. I apologize to all of the upthight people out there but that is just plain funny.

[Mel soman]

06:47 AM on 01/09/2012

NOT FUNNY...AT ALL

[l3ama205]

05:58 AM on 01/09/2012

This is ''Turrible''!

[billywms]

04:34 AM on 01/09/2012

I love Charles Barkley!--I thought he was hilarious,-Love ya Charles!

[Richard Chan]

04:19 AM on 01/09/2012

I thought this was supposed to be hilarious. Grimaced through it.

Did anyone actually laugh at this?

[ralp817]

08:27 AM on 01/09/2012

hard, and a lot. maybe you are about to have a bad day

[griggsville]

08:54 AM on 01/09/2012

I agree. But then HuffPo is famous for using hyperbole.

[ric8659]

09:33 AM on 01/09/2012

so true!

[shellfish789]

04:00 AM on 01/09/2012

Why do people get on these blogs and just trash people when they get an opportunity.......they never have any positive comments about anything.....?

[ric8659]

09:34 AM on 01/09/2012

it's so fun; get over yourself....

[92102]

02:46 AM on 01/09/2012

Been watching SNL since its debut, including the dark days of the early 80s when it was really bad. Of the hundreds of shows produced, last night's was probably among the bottom 10.

[Mel soman]

06:49 AM on 01/09/2012

I AGREE...WHO WRITES THAT CRAP?...AND WHY CHARLES? HES OLD, CANT READ AND HARD ON THE EYES..

[Pat Bateman2000]

07:59 AM on 01/09/2012

I don't know. The one good skit (and I use that term loosely) was them making fun of Shaq but overall a very weak show with a weak musical guest. Even Weekend update which usually bails out bad shows seemed off this week. Not sure the tide will change this week with Harry Potter hosting.

[ric8659]

09:36 AM on 01/09/2012

terrible show; but what else would one expect with chuckie on there!!