Highlights
- Charles Barkley believed that Tiger Woods distanced himself from their friendship after Woods’ cheating scandal and divorce.
- Barkley speculated that Woods’ back injury may have been a blessing in disguise for him.
- Barkley denied being a bad influence on Woods.
Charles Barkley found fame as a professional NBA player with teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. But beyond his massive success on the court, Barkley is also renowned for his candid and often controversial candor as a sports analyst, as well as in his own interviews.
While devoted followers of Barkley are sure to know, the 6′ 6″ giant is also an avid golfer and one-time friend of golfing legend Tiger Woods. The two were close for many years, bonding over their love of golf and shared experiences as famed professional athletes.
But what happened that caused the end of their friendship? Well, that was revealed during Barkley’s explosive sit-down interview on the In Depth show with Graham Besignger.
Charles Barkley Revealed Why He And Tiger Woods Are No Longer Friends
Charles Barkley and Tiger Woods became friends alongside legendary basketball player Michael Jordan in the mid-1990s, which was during the height of the trio’s fame.
Barkley and Woods reportedly were introduced by baseball icon Derek Jeter. Not soon after, Barkley and Woods were often spotted alongside Jordan on the green playing golf. They were also frequently pictured courtside at basketball games and other sporting events.
However, after reportedly over ten years of friendship between Barkley and Woods, the two suddenly fell out. And when their friendship ended, no one in the media had any idea what happened until 2014. That’s when Barkley began to open up and share why he and Woods were no longer close friends.
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On the In-depth show with Graham Besinger, among the many topics that were discussed was Charles Barkley’s fallout with Tiger Woods.
Bensinger first mentioned to Barkley that he knew he and Woods had been close but wanted to know what had happened between them.
Initially, Barkley appeared uncomfortable with the question and stated tentatively that he didn’t know what had happened. He added that he loved Woods like a brother and wished him nothing but the best.
Barkley then delved deeper and shared that he believed when all the bad stuff had happened in Tiger Woods’s life, the latter suddenly went in a different direction. The basketball phenom stated again that he wanted nothing but the best for Woods before lamenting their friendship of many years.
Barkley then shocked the show’s host by mentioning that he thought Woods’ back injury might be best for him. When asked why? Barkley answered that he believed Woods had returned to golfing soon. He added that now Woods didn’t have to worry about the PGA or the Ryder Cup.
Barkley then insinuated that Tiger Woods’s back injury would give his old friend the break he needed before the next season. He added he could now take much-needed time to heal in rehab and not have to rush back.
Charles Barkley then went a step further and stated there was no doubt that Woods ran back to be in the British Open too soon, was trying to win the PGA, and likely wanted to make the Ryder Cup team. He then commented that his biggest wish was that Woods would see the injury as a good thing.
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The host then asked Barkley what his current thoughts were on Tiger Woods.
Barkley hesitated for a moment before stating that he thought Woods was the type of guy who put too much stress on his body. He reminded the host that Woods had had significant injuries throughout his golfing career and was digging the golf club in the ground.
Charles Barkley added that one’s body, at some point, is bound to give in and that he hoped Woods’ rehab went well and that he would come back stronger.
Charles Barkley Blamed Tiger Woods’s Divorce With Elin Nordegren For Their Feud
In 2009, the same year his friendships with Charles Barkley and later Michael Jordan dissolved, Tiger Woods suffered the biggest setback in his personal and professional life.
That was when the press got wind that Woods had been cheating on his wife, former nanny Elin Nordegren, with dozens of women throughout the length of their marriage. Reports of Nordegren flying into a jealous fit after discovering Woods’ infidelity and hitting him were also highly discussed in the media and caused further embarrassment to Woods.
The incident was highly publicized and negatively impacted Tiger Woods’s image and brand both on and off the golf course, with the media branding him as a womanizer, s*x addict, and serial cheater, among other harsh words.
Despite initial pleas from Woods, which included bribing Nordegren to remain married to him for a few more years, she eventually divorced him in 2010.
According to an interview with Tiger Woods’ former friend Charles Barkley with The Undefeated, the former strongly believed that Woods’s cheating scandal and the lead-up to his divorce were the main reasons why Woods suddenly ended all communication with him.
To this day, I don’t have any idea what happened. After that … thing, he just stopped talking to us [Barkley and Jordan]. That’s all I know. I could understand if he was trying to get back with his wife at the time and she said, ‘Hey, get rid of all your old friends,’ and he called and said, ‘This is the situation…I would’ve understood that. But I just wish he would have been man enough to call and say that. To just disappear totally was disappointing.”
In the same article, the interviewer prompted Barkley to discuss the rumor that he was a bad influence on Woods, which was why the latter ghosted him.
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According to Charles Barkley, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
That never bothered me, because I had no idea what was going on in his private life. What was funny was people close to him called me and asked me if I knew if that stuff was going on. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I see the guy three times a year. You see the guy 100 times a year. If y’all didn’t know what was going on, I didn’t know what was going on.
Source: NewsFinale
