Charles Barkley’s name has been tossed around in NBA comparisons for decades. Stat-wise? He’s been measured up against Kendrick Perkins—both big men, both transitioned to broadcasting—but while Barkley retired with 22.1 PPG and an MVP, Perkins clocked in at 5.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over 14 seasons. On the financial side, Barkley’s $90 million net worth has sparked comparisons to Shaquille O’Neal’s staggering $500 million empire. But recently, a different kind of comparison made the rounds—one that “introverts” everywhere could relate to.

It came courtesy of Grant Hill, a man who’s worn many hats: NBA All-Star, Olympic champion, sports broadcaster, art collector, and two-time NCAA champ with the Duke Blue Devils. And now, he’s also Duke University’s 2025 commencement speaker. As he prepared for that milestone, he sat down with Due South’s Jeff Tiberii and revealed something a little more personal.

When asked how Hill recharges when the cameras are off, his answer was instantly relatable—especially if you’re someone who values your own space. “I’m an only child of two only children,” he said, using that to explain how alone time runs in his blood. Being an introvert isn’t something he had to learn—it’s how he was raised, and it’s always come naturally to him.

Then he brought up Barkley, and the comparison couldn’t be more different. “Charles, I think, recharges… he feeds off of other people’s energy,” Hill said. Whether it’s in a hotel lobby, a restaurant, or even an airport, Barkley’s in his element chatting people up. Hill? Not so much. “I can do that. And I’ve learned to do that and learn to be good at it, but it’s exhausting. It’s exhausting to me to be on,” he said.

Hill retreats to his favorite chair with a book or tames his nerves on the golf course, though he quipped Golf can stress him out, too. “I’ve picked up golf in the last 6-7 years and I don’t know if that makes me more relaxed or frustrated, depending upon how I play, maybe shot to shot,” he laughed. But what matters is that alone time fills him back up. “I do enjoy alone time.” It’s a rare glimpse into how different even the most public figures can be behind the scenes—and a whole new lens to view Barkley through too.

Now, while Hill and Barkley may not see eye to eye on how they spend their “me” time, their shared interest in golf is one area where they overlap, though Barkley’s obsession with the game might just outpace Hill’s.

Charles Barkley and his golf obsession

Sir Charles has been on the move—literally. On May 13, after filming Inside the NBA, Barkley caught a 7 a.m. flight to Birmingham for a Pro‑Am with Nick Saban and Stewart Cink ahead of the PGA Champions Tour’s first major. Then, without missing a beat, he jetted back to Atlanta for another night on air. Barkley’s picked golf as his post-NBA obsession, and he’s not shy about why: “Golf is interesting. It’s fun. It’s exciting,” he said. “I’m not stupid enough to try and play pickleball. That’s just stupid.”

Now, if you’ve ever seen Barkley’s old golf swing, you know it used to be downright painful. Chaotic pauses, jerky movements—it was more meme than motion. “The next thing I know, I got 10 voices in my head standing over a golf ball,” he once said. “I went from breaking 80 to not being able to break 100.” But in 2018, everything started to change. He started working with Stan Utley, a coach who didn’t sugarcoat it: “I don’t know how he got there, but it was bad… close to the worst swing I’ve worked with.” Still, Utley saw potential, and Barkley was ready to put in the work.

Stan Utley’s tip—‘Cast the club’—locked his wrists and unlocked Barkley’s swing. It simplified his swing—and his mindset. And slowly but surely, Sir Charles started connecting again. “It’s not perfect,” Utley said, “but his talent is so high that he can hit good shots with a bad swing.” Today, Barkley’s not just surviving on the course—he’s thriving. Not bad for a guy who once inspired golf nightmares.

In the end, Grant Hill and Charles Barkley couldn’t be more different in how they recharge—Hill retreats inward, and Barkley thrives in the crowd. Yet golf, of all things, brings their worlds together—just like it has for so many other NBA players.