Distraught Over Painful Demise, Shaquille O’Neal Wasn’t the Only Saving Grace for Charles Barkley: “Come to the Funeral…”

Charles Barkley is one of the most interesting and adored personalities on television. The 1993 MVP can often be seen on TNT talking about basketball and pulling some rather hilarious pranks on his co-host, Shaquille O’Neal.

Well-known to be ferocious on the basketball court, Chuck has since dropped his intense personality as he’s often seen in a playful mood on his shows. Recently, an interesting anecdote about Barkley’s life came to light when his mother passed away, with a special individual coming to his heed.

Charles Barkley’s lauds his late commuter friend

A few years back Shirley Wang interviewed Barkley over his friendship with his father. Her father, Lin Wang, was a cat litter scientist. The NBA icon was thick friends with Mr. Wang, but it eventually came to a tragic end.

Mr. Wang passed away in 2016, which left a profound impact on his hall of famer friend. Barkley even reminded Shirley of the time Lin came all the way to Alabama to attend Barkley’s mother’s funeral.

As reported by WBUR, Barkley said, “It ain’t easy to get to those places. I’m from a very small town.” He added, “For your dad to take the time to come to the funeral meant a great deal to me.” It looks like Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t the only one of Barkley’s friends who was there for him during the time he lost his mother.

Lin Wang sadly passed away after suffering from cancer. Barkley was not aware of the fact that Wang didn’t have long to live and was absolutely furious when he first heard about the misfortune.

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Charles Barkley’s reaction to his friend’s illness

Being a considerate friend, Mr. Wang decided to keep his illness a secret from the NBA analyst. When Chuck came to know about Lin’s disease, he was furious.

“I called him and got mad at him when I found out…I was, like, ‘Dude, we’re friends,” Barkley reportedly said.

Shirley Wang revealed that he and his father spent the last of his days watching Barkley on his show NBA on TNT. Lin Wang certainly seemed like a thoughtful individual who gained the highest respect from Barkley. “Your dad is one of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life,” the NBA legend claimed.

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