His mother once revealed how Charles Barkley tried to cosplay Superman using capes made out of bathroom towels. And failed miserably.
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We’ve all known Chuck as a dear old goofball who appears on national TV to talk about basketball with his friends. And to take the mickey out of his co-panelist Shaquille O’Neal.
As a matter of fact, O’Neal and Chuck are always trying to take the mickey out of the other. This on-screen animosity is only half-serious, but they do certainly get heated at times.
So heated, in fact, that their mothers had to once intervene and get them to apologize to each other. Lucille O’Neal and Charcey Glenn – Chuck’s mother – were old friends from the projects. Some of Chuck’s comic timing and storytelling definitely comes from Mrs. Glenn.
Charcey Glenn recalls how Charles Barkley tried to cosplay like Superman as a kid
It seems that Chuck was born to have a good time on this planet, judging from his no-frills attitude. And it certainly didn’t spring up out of nowhere – Barkley has always been like this.
Ernie and the Inside crew invited his mom on the show once to disclose an extremely embarrassing personal anecdote from his childhood for the Hall of Famer:
“The most embarrassing thing I probably remember was when he decided to play Superman. We were living in the projects, and he made himself a cape out of a towel, a bathroom towel.”
“And he got on top of the projects. I don’t know how he got on top, but he tried to fly like Superman. And he was blessed and lucky, because he got a concussion. And the doctor said ‘Maybe something’s wrong with y’all.'”
Even the normally regal Barkley couldn’t help but bow his head out of shame. His characteristic laughter was present, but the man looked visibly more discomfited than on the average joke. His response, however, was still A1 for the occasion.
