.. they [Alabama] played Afghanistan, I’d be pulling for Afghanistan”. Charles Barkley’s hatred against Alabama born out of old age rivalry is extremely strong. For those unaware, the rivalry in reference is Alabama Crimson Tide–Auburn Tigers football rivalry, popularly known as the Iron Bowl. Having represented the Tigers’ basketball team, the feelings from Chuck are quite understandable. They, however, are so strong that they make him want to punch a friend of his.

The revelation came to light when Barkley’s friend from Auburn, Gary Godfrey, made a call on The Steam Room. During the call, he urged for more funds towards kgchallenge.com. Something that raises money to help ALS families in the state of Alabama. “Go to the website. All the money goes to families in Alabama,” Chuck urged the fans. But then soon he revealed the feelings he has against Gary because of his approach towards the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.

“Gary’s one of my great friends, man. I always want to punch him in the face when I’m with him… I hope that I would handle with grace and dignity the way he has handled this [rivalry] situation,” Chuck said. He further highlighted that Gary, his wife, and two nurses are all great and inspiring people. “And he’s always in a good mood and I want to just clock him…” Barkley added. If you’re confused with this chain of thought, let us sort things out for you.

Barkley’s anger against Gary, seemingly, stems from not Godfrey not being as passionate about the Alabama-Auburn rivalry because of his always-on calm approach. “I’m a little nervous about the Iron Bowl… Not going to lie. I’m not, not real confident… You know, anytime when Alabama play, you want to throw out the records and I saw our record, I want to throw it out,” the former Philadelphia 76ers star admitted.

As mentioned earlier, Chares Barkley is so passionate about this rivalry that he’d rather support Afghanistan over the Crimson Tide. His hatred, however, isn’t directed solely at Alabama’s team but extends to its fans. On The Next Round in 2023, Barkley clarified, “I hate their fans because they’re obnoxious. They lost two games last year, and it was like, ‘Kill us now. That’s the end of the world.'”

Despite recognizing Nick Saban as one of the greatest coaches in history, Barkley labeled Alabama fans as “ungrateful brats”. However, it’s not as if the 11x All-Star has never had a soft moment for the Crimson. It, however, wasn’t for their football team.

The time when Charles Barkley comforted Crimson Tide’s player despite the existing rivalry

Rivalries in sports are supposed to be fierce, aren’t they? But now and then, we’re reminded that there’s more to the game than just winning and losing. Barkley, an Auburn alum and NBA legend, gave us one of those moments during the 2024 NCAA run.

Alabama’s basketball team had made it to the Final Four. Even if you’re not a Crimson Tide fan, you’ve got to admit—that was a big deal! And Barkley? He didn’t shy away from showing respect. Before the game, he applauded their journey and wished them luck.

Fast forward to the end of the night. The Crimson Tide lost a tough battle to the UConn Huskies, 86-72. Mark Sears, Alabama’s point guard, poured his heart into the game, leading all scorers. Yet, his efforts, even with Grant Nelson’s help, couldn’t match the Huskies’ all-around dominance.

Imagine how crushing that must have felt. And here’s where Charles Barkley reminded us why we love him. Instead of walking away, he went straight to Sears and offered him a hug. It wasn’t about rivalry anymore—it was about respect.