Charles Barkley took Friday's coverage of the 2023 men's NCAA Tournament on a hilariously ridiculous tangent like only Charles Barkley could.
The Basketball Hall of Famer first gave a shoutout to the behind-the-scenes staff of college basketball programs like equipment managers. But then, in an attempt to provide some perspective, Barkley told a story that left his fellow March Madness analysts in utter disbelief.
The No. 5 pick of the 76ers in 1984 said that during his early NBA playing days, he would sometimes take a shower while wearing his uniform -- yes, you read that correctly.
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Why would Barkley shower with a uniform on? Well, he claimed that since teams flew commercial on the road, there wasn't time to wash the uniform in a traditional manner between the end of a game and a flight the following morning.
Kenny "The Jet" Smith and Clark Kellogg, both of whom played in the NBA, couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"There's no era where you did that," Smith said. "You're making this up."
NBA
Barkley, however, insisted he was telling the truth despite being mocked for the odd method. The amusing exchange reached its climax when Kellogg tried explaining to Barkley that he could have used the shower to wash the uniform without actually wearing it.
"But it's easier to do it that way," Barkley replied.
Never change, Chuck.