Charles Barkley -- Black People Don't Play Beer Pong!!!!

Michael Jordan's blackness should have prevented him from playing beer bong at a hotel in Florida earlier this month ... so says Charles Barkley.

First off, Barkley rules -- this guy is awesome.

Sir Charles was leaving La Vecchia Cucina in Santa Monica last night -- where he spent his Monday evening watching basketball -- when we brought up MJ's beer pong match at the Ritz in Florida. Check out the exchange:

Charles: "Black people don't play beer pong."
Pap: "Jordan did!"
Charles: "That don't make it right!"

Charles goes on to explain why black people don't play beer pong ... it's hilarious.

There's more -- we also asked Barkley about Blake Griffin ... and while Sir Charles admits he's usually pretty critical of the guy, it's only because he thinks BG can be a better player than he was.

But when we asked if he would've dominated Blake Griffin back in his prime, you gotta hear how Charles responds. Classic.