I wonder what's a prettier sight: Charles Barkley's golf swing, or the big man moonwalking to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"? That's an image I bet you've never had in your head before.
On an episode of "The Steam Room" podcast, a fan asked about Chuck's favorite albums due to a popular social media trend in which Bill Clinton is sitting with four album covers, and users fill in the covers with their own choices of music. One of Barkley's four choices was a Michael Jackson album, leading us down a rabbit hole that we're glad he pulled us into.
Barkley shared a story of how he defended Jackson when there was a lot of public scrutiny and criticism of the pop star after he was seen hanging his baby over a balcony in a now-infamous scene. The Round Mound of Rebound was fed up with how media "make(s) a big deal out of anytime celebrities do anything" and that it was "unnecessary and uncalled for." Jackson was so grateful of Barkley's public defense of his actions that, to the NBA legend's surprise, he reached out about wanting to give him a phone call and thanking him.
"My agent called me and said 'hey man, Michael Jackson saw you on TV defending him, he wanted to call and say thank you... can I give him your number?'," Barkley told co-host Ernie Johnson. "I said 'hell yeah, he's Michael Jackson! Just give me a time he's going to call,'."
Barkley then went on to impersonate what Jackson sounded like on the other line, saying that he explained he was calling to tell him how appreciative he was of Barkley's defense.
"And then I say, 'man, I just want to tell you I'm your biggest fan in the world.'," Barkley said. "'It would be an honor and a privilege to meet you in person...' and I keep doing that and I say, 'hello? hello? hello?'
"And I realized that after he said what he wanted to say he had already hung up. And I was just rambling on about what a big fan I was and I was like 'yo man, I wasn't finished speaking!'... and I didn't get nothing but dial tone, brother."
There was some unintelligible babble as part of his recalling of the story, but it was only made unintelligible because Ernie Johnson was uncontrollably laughing as a result of the terrific story.
To go back and answer my first question? I think I'd have to go with the moonwalk.
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