"It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life" - Charles Barkley gushes about being a grandfather for the first time
Charles Barkley is known for being a Hall of Fame basketball player and an entertaining sports analyst. Barkley added a new title to his name earlier this year — grandfather.
During the second day of the 2022 American Century Championships, Barkley discussed life as a grandfather. Christiana, Barkley's only child, and Ilya Hoffman, her husband, had Henry earlier this year. The former MVP gushed about Henry, his grandson, saying:
"It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm so proud of my daughter and her husband Ilya. It's crazy, it's the best that ever happened to me. It's unbelievable.
"I spent the night with him the other night and I just held him the whole time. He was sleeping, it was really cool. ... Being a grandpa is the greatest thing ever. It's pretty cool."
Chuck's "Inside the NBA" co-analyst Shaquille O'Neal even bet about babysitting Henry. Shaq would babysit Henry for 30 minutes if the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA playoffs.
"If you lose your bet, I get to babysit your grandson for 30 minutes."
@SHAQ bet Chuck that the Heat would beat the Nets if they meet in the playoffs https://t.co/qOxYpPL1lG
Who are Charles Barkley's daughter and son-in-law?
Charles Barkley has been married to Maureen Blumhardt since 1989. They had Christiana later that same year. Christiana married Ilya Hoffman last year after five years of dating. They had their first son, Henry, earlier this year.
Christiana and Ilya met in 2016 at a bar in Manhattan, per the New York Times. Ilya was introduced to Christiana as Barkley's daughter. However, the Baruch College alumnus only knew the elder Barkley as the guy from "Space Jam."
"I said, 'Oh, you mean the guy from 'Space Jam?'" Ilya said. "That's where I knew him from. Some people might have been like, 'Oh my god, Charles Barkley.' To me it was like, 'Look at this amazing girl.'"
What a headline on Christiana Barkley’s wedding story https://t.co/IRNy04cwXK
When the couple got married last year, Charles Barkley revealed in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel that he had to lose weight. The couple had a Jewish wedding, meaning the party carried Barkley in a chair for the Hora, a traditional dance.
"I've been really working out hard because apparently they gotta pick me up in a chair," Barkley said. "Listen, I need all Jewish people on deck, brother. Cause I can only get so skinny by Saturday man. ... But it's like I'm a soldier. All hands on deck."
The NBA legend also had some nice words about his son-in-law's family. He said:
"I love his family, they're amazing people, they've been living in Long Island for a long time. And it's going to be a welcome addition to my family."