“Passed Away Last Week”: Charles Barkley Sends Thoughts and Condolences to Robert Reid’s Family After Tragic Passing

Drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1977, Robert Reid arrived at their training camp in a taxi, falling five bucks short. But he played with flair. “You come out of nowhere, you make it, everything is going fine, you’re really enjoying yourself. What more could you want?” he wondered back then. But the answer was clear. The player was at a crossroads, and he needed to make a decision. Religion or basketball?

He was popular among women and the night-clubbing scene. But each time he was at the club, he remembered how he should have been at the church. Reid’s church was Pentecostal and his family was devout. Soon, he made the decision to quit professional basketball and went back to Miami.

But when the Rockets needed his services a year later, he experienced a strong pull towards the court once again. The Houston Rockets legend Robert Reid passed away on February 19th and left the NBA community in mourning. As per Matt Young of the ‘Houston Chronicle’, he died of cancer.

The 68-year-old was the 40th pick in the 1977 draft and he played a crucial role in putting the Rockets on the map. He was a fierce competitor, but most importantly, an amazing human revered by many NBA legends. Well, Charles Barkley was one of them and he finally opened up about the devastating loss of his late friend. 

Barkley has often shown a moment of respect to the deceased through his podcast with TNT co-host Ernie Johnson. During The Steam Room’ podcast, the 1993 MVP did it once again, this time for Robert Reid. The Philadelphia 76ers legend expressed that Reid was “One of the good dudes, really good player in NBA history, just a really good dude. I got to know him well through my Rocket days. We had the same agent… Thoughts and condolences to the family of Robert Reid… Really nice man. It was an honor to call him a friend, and he passed away last week and I just want to reach out and say, ‘Thank you, Robert, for being in my life’.”

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Though the legends never shared the court together, they managed to become great friends off the court. Even Reid’s former competitor, Magic Johnson, shared some kind words about him. The Rockets team is one of the few teams that found success against Johnson’s Lakers in the late 80s, that too in the playoffs. But Johnson remembered Reid for much more than that. He shared, “Robert was a fierce competitor for the Houston Rockets and one of the best defensive players the league has ever seen! He was always a good host when I visited Houston, and we shared many meals together over the years.”

Reid played 13 NBA seasons. After his playing career ended, he was heavily involved in charitable causes. Reid is survived by his wife, Diana, and four children (Robert Jr., Keva, Crystal, and Jana).

The passing basketball legends like Reid concern Barkley, who spoke about it on his podcast. 

Charles Barkley is disturbed after witnessing continuous demises

Barkley shared a new fear that has clouded his thoughts. In the last few months, he has made a mention about the passing of a lot of former NBA players; many of them were his teammates or opponents. Notably, all of them are close to Barkley’s age. He said, “We started losing people…It is weird, like guys who played against us have started to die.” 

In his last few podcast episodes, Barkley made mention of several deceased celebrities. Phoenix Suns radio host DJ Super Snake, former NFL star and famous actor Carl Weathers, ‘Friends’ star Mathew Perry and many more. All this happened back to back, and it seems to have put Barkley in a contemplative state.

Nonetheless, Charles Barkley does all that any of us can do. He fondly remembers his late friends and shares his warmest condolences with their families. What are your thoughts on Robert Reid’s NBA career? Share your take in the comments below.

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