“My Condolences to..”: Charles Barkley Reacts to Matthew Perry’s Demise With Heartfelt Touch as Love for ‘Friends’ Star Transcends Limits

As the news cycle rolled out on 28th October, the world was met with saddening news. 54YO Matthew Perry, who famously played Chandler Bing on the hit show ‘FRIENDS’, had unfortunately passed away. For many, their life had come to a standstill and the loss felt personal. As fans processed this, tributes flew in rather instantly. Recently, NBA legend Charles Barkley chimed in with a message for Perry.

From Instagram posts to Charlie Puth’s wholesome rendition of the theme song in Australia – fans spread nothing but love. As beautiful edits of Chandler Bing continued to hit the internet, Charles Barkley decided to start his podcast by talking about Matthew Perry.

Charles Barkley Has A Message For Courtney Cox And The Rest

‘The Steam Room’ podcast with Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley hit platforms earlier today. Chuck started the episode with a message to all those who had passed during the podcast’s hiatus. With a rather calm voice, he spoke about Perry.

Claiming to have never watched an episode of the show Friends, Barkley stated that his daughter “knows every Friends episode, verbatim.” Despite being foreign to the show, Barkley claimed that he has met Perry’s co-actors Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.

While speaking about Cox, he said, “I didn’t know Matthew Perry. I think I met, Courtney is from Birmingham. I met her quite a few times, so my condolences to Courtney.” 

Barkley further claimed to have “bumped into Lisa Kudrow one time in the elevator.” Of course, it isn’t just the cast of ‘FRIENDS’ that will miss the iconic actor. Notably, he was also a fan of the Lakers and Barkley’s co-host Shaquille O’Neal.

Matthew Perry’s Love For Basketball

Perry’s love for basketball saw no limit. It started with his character, Chandler Bing, on the generational favorite show where he wholeheartedly supported the New York Knicks.

He even played the role of a basketball player in Zac Efron’s movie ‘17 Again‘ while also featuring on ESPN ads with the likes of Bruce Willis. During the same, he sarcastically that Shaq is “not small”.

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While these remain major talking points, there is one other factor that screams Perry’s obsession with the game. As per a post on Reddit and a YouTube video, Perry was a hidden player in an arcade game named NBA Hangtime. Supposedly, there used to be a specific pin that enabled a user to play as Perry on NBA Hangtime.

Read More: Revisiting Late Friends Actor Matthew Perry’s Love for American Football

The 54-year-old actor leaves behind an unmatchable legacy. A legacy that is celebrated with bright colors of love and laughter; a legacy that reminds fans that when the rain starts to pour, Matthew Perry and five others will always be there for you.