“I joined him when he got fired. That’s how long we’ve been friends. So I admire him, I respect him.” If you wanted any proof about Charles Barkley’s loyalty, this statement does that. Chuck said this as the criticism mounts on the UNC coach after the interview debacle with his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson. From the very beginning, the age gap between them was in question, with her being 24 and the coach being 73. But Sir Charles’ concerns are more than that.

If you don’t know, the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach did a CBS Mornings show. Everything was good until the host, Tony Dokoupil, asked a question that everyone is curious to know. On how the two actually met. Hudson cut in after Dokoupil’s question, saying, “We’re not talking about this.” The tone and the manner were not polite as well. The clip was viral on social media, and that’s why his close friend has expressed some concerns. He was about to reach out, but did not.

“I have not, because I saw some, I’ve been reading from a distance that apparently he’s trying to do some things. Hey, you know what you know, Dan, me and Bill have been friends. We met when he was with the Cleveland Browns. He’s been a great friend.” Their friendship is longer than three decades, where they have seen each other’s highest moments and even the lowest. “I love the guy, and you know we always joke. Hey, I was friends with him before I was friends with him when he got fired. I wasn’t joining the guy who won all the Super Bowls.”

So, the reason that Charles Barkley hasn’t reached out could be because of rumors of Bill Belichick hiring a new team. ProFootballTalk reported earlier this week that Belichick had been in talks with Brandon Faber about coming on board for a “couple of months” but that “nothing has been completed or formalized.” Faber has more than 20 years in the industry and has also worked with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Bulls. Since this is not official yet, Charles Barkley is worried about his friend and the lasting impact on his legacy.

“But man, this thing is so messy. I see he’s made some things happen. Cause you know, the one thing you never want to do. It’s going to be over for everybody at some point, and we right now he’s the greatest coach ever. But we’re not even talking about that right now, right? And that’s what bothers me,” said Chuck on the OutKick show. 

Not just Charles Barkley, but another person close to Bill Belichick raises concerns

The whole plan of the CBS interview was to promote the new book by the UNC coach. So, some reports suggest that’s why Hudson shot down personal questions quickly. But since the topic doesn’t seem to die down, the former NFL player who played under Bill Belichick suggested that the coach follow his own teachings.

“Now that it’s gained, it’s snowballed to what it’s become right now where we’re talking about it three weeks later, it’s becoming a distraction. We’ve got to practice what we preach here.“Julian Edelman recalled the 12 years he spent training under the coach and wants the coach to use the pep talk.  “We’re talking about this three weeks later. It’s getting to a point where we’ve got to start worrying about the ACC. We’ve got to start worrying about Dabo Swinney. We shouldn’t be talking about our girlfriend. That’s what coach would say to us.”

Edelman initially argued that Hudson was acting in her role as Belichick’s PR representative when she interrupted an interview with CBS to shut down questions about their relationship. However, that incident led to a number of claims about Hudson’s involvement with Belichick and sparked speculation about familial strife. That’s why closer ones are coming in support, just like Charles Barkley and Edelman. The former even believes the necessary changes are being made, so that’s why he won’t interfere.