Austin Reaves’ tough shot-making during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-116 road win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday earned him comparisons to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird on Detroit’s broadcast. However, Charles Barkley wasn’t having it.

Revisiting the game, the Hall of Famer took issue with Reaves being likened to Bird during ESPN’s “NBA Tip-Off” coverage Wednesday. While Barkley made it clear he “loves” Reaves, he felt the comparison went too far.

Charles Barkley Pushes Back on Austin Reaves-Larry Bird Comparison

Playing without Luka Dončić (back) against Detroit, Reaves stepped up with a season-high 43-point outburst, hitting a barrage of difficult shots, including an off-balance first-quarter baseline jumper that went over the corner of the backboard.

The highlight play prompted one of the Pistons’ commentators to playfully question, “Is that Austin Reaves, or is that Larry Bird?” Barkley later took issue with a “tape” comparing the two.

“I was watching the Detroit Pistons against the Lakers the other night, and some [expletive] or fool or [expletive] thought it would be appropriate to compare Austin Reaves to Larry Bird,” Barkley said.

“Y’all put together a tape and said, ‘Who does Austin Reaves remind me of?’ And y’all put a video clip of Austin Reaves — I love Austin Reaves — don’t compare him to Larry Bird ever, under no [expletive] circumstances. Do not ever do that again. I don’t know who put that [expletive] clip together, but don’t ever do that again.”

Barkley then quipped that Reaves’ only similarity to the Celtics icon is his skin tone:

“Listen, Austin Reaves, you know I love you. Don’t put him on the same clip with Larry Bird. Yeah, they’re both white. That’s it. That’s the only thing they have in common. Nothing else.”

Reaves, for his part, struck a modest tone about his offensive execution after Sunday’s eruption, acknowledging that he “was a lucky basketball player tonight.”

Barkley knows Bird’s game firsthand, having faced him throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. The 6-foot-9 sharpshooter spent his entire 13-year Hall of Fame career with the Celtics, winning three NBA championships, three MVP awards, and two Finals MVPs. He also earned 12 All-Star selections and nine All-NBA First Team honors.

Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game for his career, including a career-high 29.9 ppg in the 1987-88 campaign.

Reaves, meanwhile, has averaged 16.1 ppg for his career but entered Wednesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks averaging a personal-best 25.3 ppg through 11 outings, putting him in contention for his first All-Star nod.