NBA Great Charles Barkley Makes Bold Statement On Walter Clayton Jr

Shandel Richardson | Apr 6, 2025

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) reacts after a play against the Auburn Tigers during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It was an emotional day for NBA great Charles Barkley on Saturday.

He was working as an analyst for CBS while Florida faced Auburn in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators knocked off the Tigers 79-73 behind 34 points from star Walter Clayton Jr.

Barkley played at Auburn during the 1980s.

"You know, the best team won," Barkley said during the postgame broadcast. "Our guys played valiantly. It was a heck of a game. I'm so proud of our team and Coach Pearl and those kids. Yeah, I'm disappointed. Florida was the better team."

Clayton Jr., has been one of the top players in the tournament. He has the Gators in the title game for the first time since the days of Joakim Noah and Al Horford in the mid 2000s. His latest performance drew praise from Barkley, an NBA Hall of Famer who is considered one of the best teams in league history.

"Mr. Clayton is the real deal," Barkley said. "Mark Jackson always says, 'Mama, there goes that man.' He is the real deal. And the thing is, he kept them in it when they were struggling, and then the rest of the guys joined the party. But congratulations to the Florida Gators, and I also just want to thank my guys from Auburn for getting us to the Final Four."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA