Charles Barkley was an absolute menace during his playing days. Known for terrorizing opponents on the court and clashing with critics off it, the 11x All-Star never shied away from confrontation. In one such instance, he even threatened to break sports radio host Jim Rome’s face.
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However, what happened next took their relationship in an unexpected direction.
Rome recently reflected on how one of his remarks rubbed Barkley the wrong way. The latter consequently confronted him in a restaurant, ready for a physical altercation. However, after some heated exchanges, things surprisingly returned to normal due to their mutual connection.
This moment even laid the foundation for their friendship, as Rome recalled on The Jim Rome Show,
“Charles wanted to break my face… And we worked it out that night… And he and I came together in this restaurant and I had a few drinks in me and had my chest out and we F-bombed each other and he looked at me, ‘You know what man. You’re good with DMACC, you’re good with me. Crystal all around’. And then we never looked back”.
This situation perfectly showcased Chuck‘s character. Despite being a hot-headed competitor, he always had everyone’s best interests at heart. So, even though the 1993 MVP once described Rome as ‘everything that’s wrong with sports’, he quickly moved past it, understanding the nature of the NBA business.
At the same time, this moment pointed to how Barkley’s light-hearted persona resonated with everyone around him. This subsequently helped him forge a lasting friendship with Rome. Ever since then, Chuck made active efforts to maintain this relationship. A few months ago, for instance, he appeared on Rome’s show while showering high praise, stating,
“Jim, you know how much I like you as a person. I know how talented you are. Anytime you need me, brother, I’m there”.
Although Barkley’s rocky relationship with Rome eventually turned into a close one, this wasn’t the case with everyone.
Charles Barkley never forgave a handful of people
Throughout his career as a player and an analyst, Chuck never stepped away from standing his ground against critics. While this approach helped him build lasting relationships with a few, it also created distance with many.
Veteran analyst Skip Bayless undoubtedly fell into the latter category, leading Barkley to call him out on multiple occasions.
On The Dan Patrick Show, the 61-year-old even once showcased his desire to engage in a physical altercation with Bayless under one condition. Expressing his stance, he mentioned, “If I get a disease and I’m gonna die, how about you bring Skip Bayless in here and I kill him live on national television”.
This further highlighted the special bond Barkley always shared with Rome. After all, only a select few ever made it into his good books, let alone received compliments from him.
