Charles Barkley appeared at the American Century Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, where he met NFL star George Kittle and formed a friendship. After retiring from the NBA, Barkley pursued one of his passions: golf.
However, he has always been a high-stakes gambler. He even placed big bets while playing professional basketball, which led him to lose huge amounts of money. In fact, he nearly went broke because of this habit that cost him millions of dollars. Recently, the Hall of Famer confessed to Kittle about his gambling struggles.
He realized he has true friends
According to Firstsportz, Barkley appeared on George Kittle’s podcast, Kittle Things. There, he admitted he had become a compulsive gambler. However, he slowed down, and whenever he gambles now, he walks away if he loses too much money.
The former NBA star said: “After every round, we meet at the cigar bar. I said, ‘Guys, I’m still awake. What if I go to the casino while you hang out here?’ One of my friends replied, ‘I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t you press your upper lip against your lower lip and shut up? We’re not gambling tonight. We’re fine.’”
That moment shows how one of Barkley’s close friends, knowing his weakness, stopped him from wasting a huge chunk of his winnings. His friends, aware of his gambling tendencies, often step in to prevent him from going down the same path again.
Another shared passion between the Inside the NBA star and George Kittle was golf. Barkley explained:
“I used to be really good at golf. Then I developed the yips for about 20 years. I finally overcame them. I had a nerve problem—it was funny to others. I went through hell and back with my golf game. I played one-handed for some years, even left-handed for others.”
