The UConn Huskies and the Alabama Crimson Tide put on a show to end the first half of their Final Four battle, 44-40. Although the Huskies had the lead, Charles Barkley was scared that the Crimson Tide, his nemesis, might pull off an upset towards the end of the game. The Philadelphia 76ers legend, who is one of the analysts for the NCAA tournament this year, grabbed the mic quickly during the halftime show to share just one piece of advice for the Huskies, which is not the case usually. Well, here’s the reason behind it. 

Barkley, an alumnus of Auburn University, has a prolonged beef with the Alabama Crimson Tide. It dates back to his college days when he represented the Auburn Tigers. Even four decades later, it looks like he wants Alabama to keep losing. Barkley said during the halftime show, “UConn’s gonna run them off the three-point line. They should hold them up to 2-point baskets.” Barkley did not want to add any more points. Ernie Johnson, who was in denial, shared, “That’s all you wanted to say?”

Barkley justified, “Ay, you can’t stop both of them. You can’t stop threes and twos.” Johnson replied, “You know what, I have never seen an Auburn guy, so in a hurry to talk Alabama.” Well, here comes Barkley’s concern. He added, “If Alabama wins I don’t know if we got enough Natty Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon to feed these people out here.” Do you see the evident fear?

To Barkley’s luck, the Alabama Crimson Tide crashed out of the tournament with an 86-72 loss. What was a close battle until the last five minutes, turned into a comfortable win for the UConn Huskies. Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle closed out the game with 18 points and 21 points respectively, to fly back to the National Championship game. Although Barkley got what he wanted, he shared a moment of respect for his nemesis after their devastating loss. 

“Helluva season”: Charles Barkley to the stars of Alabama

As a former NCAA player and an NBA legend, Barkley values sportsmanship more than anything. Although he might not be a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide, he decided to show them some respect after the game. In a video shared on Twitter, the 76ers icon was seen shaking hands with Alabama’s young guard Mark Sears. One of the best players of the Crimson Tide was Sears. The 6’1 guard dropped 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists today, which impressed Barkley. 

“Ala-F*****g-Bama”: Charles Barkley Begrudgingly Takes the High Road for NCAA Final Four Despite Persisting Rivalry

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Later in the tunnel, Barkley also gave a fist bump to Grant Nelson, who recorded 19 points, and 15 rebounds. The future is bright for the Alabama unit and Barkley very well knows it. He told both Sears and Nelson, “Y’all had a helluva season”, crediting them for their deep run in the NCAA. That’s a great gesture from Barkley, and also, he can save some money for Natty Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon for the next year maybe! 

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