Charles Barkley wants a positive change among sports fans this Martin Luther King Day. As the US celebrates the life and work of the civil rights leader, Chuck believes people need to understand the importance of taking a moment to thank the people who paved the way for us. Whether in sports or life.

Barkley initiated the conversation by giving a shout-out to TNT and the NBA for honoring legendary figures. “You talk about Dr. King, Muhammad Ali, Medgar Evers, you know, people like that, Malcolm X, people who I look at as heroes of mine and none of us have ever been perfect. But you know these guys, man, we can never say thank you enough,” Barkley said. To drive his point home, Barkley shared a touching story about his late friend and MLB legend Joe Morgan.

Chuck revealed that Morgan’s father had told him to just say thank you when he gets a chance to meet MLB legend Jackie Robinson. “Every time he saw Jackie Robinson out there, he said… thank you. And that meant a lot. Just a simple thank you.” A tradition that even Chuck has followed with his own set of heroes.

Appearing on Podcast P with Paul George, he shared how emotional it was to meet iconic players at the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary ceremonies. During this discussion, Charles Barkley revealed he makes it a point to thank two groups of people– older individuals of color and veteran NBA players. “Anytime I meet two people, an old NBA player and a old black person, I make sure I tell them thank you.” 

Why? Because these individuals endured challenges that paved the way for others. Barkley acknowledged that NBA legends, like Spencer Haywood and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, didn’t play for the money but for the love of the game.

“Anytime I meet an old black basketball player, like a Spencer Haywood, a Kareem, guys like that, I say, yo, man, Clifford Ray, thank you. Thank you for doing all the heavy lifting.” A sentiment we could all learn to express more often.

Charles Barkley reveals his Jackie Robinsons of the NBA

When it comes to NBA GOAT debates, once-serious conversations have now reduced to often and casual takes focused on just Michael Jordan and LeBron James. While they’re undoubtedly two of the greatest to ever play, Charles Barkley is here to remind us that the conversation shouldn’t stop there.

On a recent episode of The Steam Room, Barkley gave a heartfelt nod to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Someone he believes is unfairly left out of these discussions. If you think about it, how often do we hear about Kareem’s legacy when people argue about the GOAT? The Captain has one of the greatest resumes in basketball history, yet he’s often overlooked. Barkley had something to say about that.

“These fools on television always talking about who’s the greatest basketball player ever between Michael, LeBron and Kobe and things like that. Kareem should be in that conversation… Him and Bill Russell, they’re our Jackie Robinson in Basketball,” Barkley said.

Maybe it’s time for us—and the “lightweight reporters” pointed out by Charles Barkely—to give these legends the respect they’ve more than earned. As Chuck simply put it, maybe just a simple thank you.