Charles Barkley is never one to step down from a challenge. The 11-time All-Star was one of the toughest competitors on the court during his NBA heyday, but he’s also quite skilled at another game: golf. Six years ago he spoke with Jimmy Fallon about his affinity for the game, but it nearly turned into him roasting Fallon on a skewer.
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It’s no secret that Chuck is obsessed with golf. Notorious for having one of the most atrocious swings across all cross-sport athletes, Barkley soon made sure to rectify the several hitches he had in his wind up.
“I really don’t think people realize how much he loves golf and how much time he spends playing and practicing,” said Chuck coach, Stan Utley. Fast-forward to present day and the ‘Round Mound of Rebound’ boasts an impressive handicap of 10.
Amidst his golfing journey, Barkley appeared on the Tonight Show in 2019 and was immediately asked by Fallon, “How’s your golf game?” Chuck gave the SNL alum a semi-death stare, but it turned into a sinister grin a moment later.
“Are you going to start already?” he responded, which got a huge laugh from the audience. Fallon tried to make his case that he was merely just curious.
That’s what prompted Chuck to challenge Fallon on the spot, declaring that he could beat him at golf no problem. Before Fallon could answer, the NBA legend demanded to know if the Fever Pitch star was a talk-show host or a comedian. Fallon stated, “Talk show host.”
“Well a talk show host can’t beat me,” uttered Barkley. When Fallon quipped back that he was a comedian Chuck fired right back. “A comedian can’t beat me either.”
The 1993 league MVP then joked that Fallon was ducking him, and reminded the viewing audience that even though he had gotten older, he would never lose all of his athletic ability. Fallon claimed that if he focused he could give Chuck a run for his money, but Chuck shot the idea down.
Chuck once roasted a player on the golf course: himself
Barkley’s trash-talk is one of a kind. NBA fans get to appreciate it every time they boot up NBA on TNT and see him and Shaq go back and forth. But once Chuck’s verbal spats hit a different enemy: himself.
In the summer of 2024, Chuck participated in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. On one hole, Chuck was in the rough, and had a mishit so bad that the grass flew further than the ball. How did Chuck respond? By calling himself a “fat f***”.
— NUCLR GOLF POD (@NUCLRGOLFPOD) July 14, 2024
Come on Chuck…you look great. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Besides, the most important thing about golf is that you can hit three horrible shots and one terrific shot and still make par. The NBA legend probably knows that though and it was just in the heat of the moment that he got as fired up as he did.
