Charles Barkley has always shared a genuine connection with people that goes beyond basketball. When a young supporter battling a serious illness once asked for an autograph, instead of sending one to him, Barkley drove out to meet him in person. That kind of compassion defines the NBA legend, who never hesitates to put everything else on pause for the people who matter to him. And this time, it’s the death of “an awesome young lady,” which the Hall of Famer admitted “broke my heart.”

During the latest edition of The Steam Room podcast, Barkley mourned the passing of Grace Lee, an Atlanta-based startup investor. Lee had a stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, a rare, aggressive bile duct cancer, which she shared with the world on September 11, 2025.

“We lost a couple of people,” Charles Barkley said.” Before we get serious, this is a young lady whom I got to know living here in Atlanta. Her name was Grace Lee. She was an awesome young lady, and she passed away from cancer last week. It broke my heart when I got the message. I saw a bunch of other people put out condolences, too. But Grace Lee was just a sweet lady.”

Lee’s friend described her as “lights up every room she walks into.” This was something that the entire crew of Inside the NBA must have felt when she met them in person last year. Lee added a collage of videos and photos of visiting Studio J and meeting Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley on Instagram, captioning it, “One last time in the TNT studio with these legends! Game 5 Knicks🏀Celtics.”

This visit was during last season’s playoffs in May, roughly four months before the world found out about her cancer condition. Sadly, after a brave fight, Grace passed away a week ago. Barkley added, “Guarantee you Shaq knew her cuz she was in the hookah business. So I know Shaq knew her. But Grace Lee, rest in peace.”

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Before pivoting to investing and being a venture partner at Profluence Capital in January 2024, Grace had started in the food and beverage industry. She was the founder of Cruzado, a Caribbean restaurant famous for its wine and hookah in Midtown Atlanta. But she wasn’t the only person the NBA legend mourned.

Charles Barkley is “sorry” for his good friend

Unfortunately, the Winter Olympics produced two heartbreaks for the Tampa Bay Lightning coach, Jon Cooper. He was the head coach for Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, where his side lost in overtime in the Final, settling for a silver medal. But that loss hit even harder considering his father, Robert Cooper, a native of Prince George, B.C., passed away.

Barkley stated that he was good friends with Cooper and said, “One of my good friends, the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, John Cooper, lost his dad this week. Can you imagine coming back from the Olympics and losing your dad? So, Coop, man, you know, you’re my guy and, wish you nothing but the best. I’m sorry you lost your dad.” Cooper even stepped away for two games following the death of his father.

These moments show who Barkley is. He might come off as a hating old head on TV, but even his criticism comes from a good place. So, if you’re in the good books of the Chuckster, you know you can trust him. Because, like a true friend, Barkley stands for people in the toughest of times.