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“My Dad’s Friendship With Charles Barkley” – A Heartwarming Story

Charles Barkley was one of the most entertaining players in NBA history – on and off the court. Thankfully this hasn’t changed for his second career in broadcasting. The Inside the NBA on TNT crew simply is the best when it comes to basketball shows on TV.

Posts about Barkley mostly are funny and often also consist of Shaquille O’Neal, but this one, is a whole different story. One of the most touching stories ever.

Journalist Shirley Wang shared an incredible story of her late father’s friendship with Charles Barkley. You have to check out the full story wbur.org, it’s worth it:

“Your dad is one of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Barkley said. “I’m not just saying that — I mean, think about it: It’s fun to be with your friends, you know? ‘Cause, I don’t have that many friends that I want to be around, to be honest with you. I mean, you know a lot of people. But when you go spend time with your friends, it’s a whole different animal.”

“My dad never told Barkley that he was sick.

“I called him and got mad at him when I found out,” Barkley said. “I was, like, ‘Dude, we’re friends. You can tell me. You’re not bothering me. You know me well enough — if you were bothering me, I would tell you you were bothering me.’ “

What Barkley didn’t know was that my dad watched him almost every night on TNT. And while he rested and healed, my dad was laughing along with Barkley. He kept my dad company.”

Charles Barkley and Lin Wang (Courtesy Shirley Wang)