Charles Barkley reveals Dirk Nowitzki's 'straight-faced' reply to Chuck's Auburn University pitch
Charles Barkley recalled a time when he tried to persuade a very young Dirk Nowitzki to join Auburn, Barkley's alma mater, to which the German legend kindly declined, saying he had different opportunities outside of basketball.
Nowitzki is filling in for Shaquille O'Neal for Saturday's edition of TNT's Inside the NBA, which led Barkley to reminisce about the moment he met Nowitzki and his failed pitch to take him to Auburn.
"We take our All-Star team over to Germany, and he [Dirk Nowitzki] is 18. He's got 30 [points] at halftime, and we're like, 'Who's that dude?' He finished with like 47. After the game, I walked up to him like, ' dude who are you?'," Barkley said before revealing how gracefully Nowitzki rejected his offer.
"I said, you're 18? You wanna go to Auburn? Can I get your information? I want you to go to Auburn.' He looked at me with a straight face and says, 'I gotta go to the army.'"
However, Dirk Nowitzki didn't make it to the army and instead pursued a professional career in the NBA, going straight to the league and bypassing college altogether. He thrived in the association, becoming one of the best international players to set foot on an NBA court.
Nowitzki finished his career as a 14-time NBA All-Star and 12-time All-NBA selection while winning the 2007 regular season MVP, and capping off his career with the 2011 NBA championship, which also granted him the 2011 Finals MVP award.
Charles Barkley reveals 'stressful situation' regarding Inside the NBA's future
While NBA fans are enjoying the presence of Dirk Nowitzki on Inside the NBA, concerns have arisen about the future of the show. Rumors and speculation have surfaced in recent days regarding TNT's TV rights deal with the NBA.
Charles Barkley admitted that they're living 'stressful' moments amid uncertainty about the show. They have earned the love and respect of countless NBA fans, and losing this program would be a major hit for many of them.
Barkley's admission that he would become a free agent if TNT lost its NBA rights, has further sounded the alarm among fans. This situation has yet to be resolved, but NBC/Peacock is reportedly pushing to replace TNT and become the new home for the NBA.