Back In The Day NBA

NCAA Tournament Finally Gives TNT's Charles Barkley Reason To Smile

Shandel Richardson

Apr 6, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Charles Barkley reacts in the second half in the semifinals of the 2019 men's Final Four between the Virginia Cavaliers and Auburn Tigers at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Charles Barkley reacts in the second half in the semifinals of the 2019 men's Final Four between the Virginia Cavaliers and Auburn Tigers at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images / Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images
In this story:

NBA great Charles Barkley never won a championship during his playing career.

He is, however, in contention to claim part of a title during March Madness. The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Barkley played collegiately at Auburn.

On Thursday's TNT broadcast, he gave the Tigers a shoutout on Inside The NBA.

"I haven't had much to brag on this year but let me go ahead and say it: War Damn Eagle," Barkley said.

The Tigers defeated Alabama State 83-63 in the first round. The game was close for a half before they pulled away in the second half. After the game, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said the team needs to play better.

“We just weren’t sharp,” Pearl said. “One thing you can control. Our teams always play with great effort and energy too or our system doesn’t really work. I just didn’t think we did today.”

Barkley is hoping the Tigers can bring him some joy while working on the set. His co-hosts, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal, often laugh at Barkley for winning zero championships during his Hall of Fame career.

Smith won two titles with the Houston Rockets in the early 1990s. O'Neal collected four rings while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat in the 2000s.

So at least this would give Barkley something to brag about.

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

Published
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com