Charles Barkley loves college sports. Sneaking a break from his usual rooting for Auburn, the Philadelphia 76ers legend keeps a close eye on college football, too. His support extends to the NHL, too! And be it his frustration over a team’s underwhelming performance or thrill over a win, he is quick to drop his criticism or love, always out of the arena. But does he share the same love for high school sports? We are yet to see him supporting the rising stars such as A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and more. As you might asssume, his passion might not extend that far. And it might have been stirred by people like Matt Barnes.

Like the former NBA player turned analyst Barkley, coaches and parents of the players are highly invested in the games. Especially, parents like to hold a deep sense of pride in their kids’ accomplishments. Chuck explained that the parents and coaches get too involved and end up interrupting the games. And this is why he doesn’t like high school sports much.

“I don’t go to high school games anymore. One of those reasons (is) like these parents are. They suck, the yelling and the screaming at the coach, the players and the referees. I’m like, let your kid. Stop trying to live your life through your kids’ sports. Be positive, man!” Chuck said on The Steam Room podcast. Ernie Johnson, who has seen much of it, also detailed one recent story where a coach got into a scuffle with an umpire. We saw something similar happen to former NBA player Barnes almost a year ago.

Just a few months ago, Barnes got into an issue at a high school basketball game at Encino Crespi, where his 15-year-old twin sons, Carter and Isaiah, play. After a technical foul, the former NBA player yelled at an official and was later seen placing his hand on Harvard-Westlake student broadcaster Jake Lancer’s shoulder and sharing a few words.

Later, Lancer shared that he did not say much to Barnes. The former NBA player also later admitted on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that while he has always yelled at refs throughout his career, his mistake was placing his hand on Lancer’s shoulder. Barnes was reportedly suspended from games for one year. Just recently on All The Smoke podcast, he shared that he will be able to attend the games starting next year.

Barkley even went on to share another story where a father praised his kid for doing his best despite losing the game, which impressed him. Chuck’s own story involving his daughter is inspiring and motivating, too!

Charles Barkley had a heartwarming response to his daughter’s hate for sports 

Every parent dreams of watching their kids follow in their footsteps. If nothing else, they secretly hope that their children share the same love and passion as they do. However, despite this wish, most parents are fully supportive of their child’s chosen profession. And while it’s the same for Barkley, he initially found it hard to accept that his only daughter isn’t very fond of sports.

It was a bit heartbreaking for him. However, Chuck set a great example by showing the gentlest gesture to his daughter, whom he named after a Christiana Mall in Delaware. When Charles Barkley asked his daughter Christiana if she enjoyed sports, her blunt reply—“Dad, I hate sports”—landed like a gut punch. Barkley, who’d dreamed of coaching her through jump hooks and crossover drills, admitted on a CBS “Face The Nation” segment that he felt “miserable” upon learning her truth. Here’s what Barkley had to say:

“And I said, ‘Christina, can I ask you a question? Do you like sports? She says, ‘Dad, I hate sports.’ So I couldn’t cry in front of her, so I just gave her a hug. But she’s such a wonderful person. It was traumatic because I spent her whole childhood thinking, jump hooks, I’m going to hook her up with Kevin McHale; he’s going to teach her the up and under and all, and she’s going to be killing all these college girls, and then she was like, ‘Dad, I don’t like sports,” Chuck said. 

Not to forget, Chuck contributed $1 million to his alma mater, Auburn, for the growth of the women’s basketball program. Barkley’s daughter went to Villanova University and continued her higher studies, going to Arizona University. Despite Christiana’s aversion to athletic pursuits, she remains an avid basketball fan, regularly streaming NCAA Tournament games and texting her dad hot takes during March Madness. Barkley says those texts are “the next best thing to coaching her,” a reminder that shared passions can take many forms.

She got her degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and later worked for the college consulting company called The Koppelman Group, as per the New York Times. She is married to Ilya Hoffman and has two kids. Barkley often brags that grandfatherhood “beats rebounding” in the joy department. But even after all these years, Barkley’s warm gesture isn’t forgotten. He fully supports her dreams, even if they are different from his. And he hopes the same for the other parents.