The significance of Willie Mays’ impact can be felt through the athletes he inspired beyond baseball. The MLB icon passed away on June 18 at the age of 93. The loss hit harder for a generation of athletes like Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley. Not only are former MLB pros and the teams expressing their grief, NBA players couldn’t hold back either. Magic and his wife shared a public statement of condolence for the Mays family. Chuck though made a moving statement on the kind of person the Say Hey Kid was.

Magic wrote on X, “I’m devastated to hear about the passing of the legendary Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the main reasons I fell in love with baseball. Cookie and I are praying for his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.”

His wife, Cookie, shared her own condolence message on her Instagram page with an old throwback to the MLB legend and his famous style of wearing his hat. “RIP to the legendary Willie Mays,” she wrote. “Praying for his family and all who loved him during this difficult time.”

Charles Barkley called in to CNN to express what Willie Mays meant to him. “We have no idea what these guys have been through…To try to be great at a sport, and then deal with all the racial strife that these guys had to deal with, that’s what makes them heroes.”

Chuck confirmed he had the honor and privilege to meet Mays about 10 times in his lifetime. He was introduced to another Alabama-born great, Hank Aaron by a friend who was his connection to Mays. Both legends were so “humble and gracious” and left Barkley starstruck each time. His heroes were better than he ever imagined they would be, which makes Chuck call Mays’ legacy a celebration of what he’s done for black athletes across all sports.

Charles Barkley’s sentiment echoed across all fields

As Chuck mentioned on CNN, the image this generation have of Willie Mays is when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Then-President Barack Obama can’t forget that moment either and it shows in his statement. He wrote, “Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation. I’m lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family,” on X along with a picture of one of their own meetups.

Mays was born and raised in Westfield, Alabama, a 30-minute drive from Chuck’s hometown of Leeds. The Alabama connection meant a lot to Chuck. It also means a lot to the unfiltered studio analyst who announced in his retirement that athletes like Willie Mays made it possible. “It’s easy for guys today to be heroes when you’re making 30-40-50 million dollars and playing a sport. You can say what you want to, you can do what you want to,” Chuck says. But what makes Mays’ and his generation great is being great at a sport in an era rife with social injustice.

Someone who has the luxury to be unfiltered too, Skip Bayless also shared the influence Willie Mays has on shaping outspoken sports media personalities. “RIP Willie Mays. I can’t tell you how many childhood nights he ruined for me when his Giants played my Cardinals. He could beat you with homers and doubles and bunts and speed and range and glove and arm. No one ever had 5 greater tools or greater mystique. Say hey, sir.”

Like the iconic ‘Catch,’ Willie Mays lives on with his unmatched legacy. Say hey, Mr. Mays.