Watch: Charles Barkley and Grant Hill struggle to breathe in Denver ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Charles Barkley and Grant Hill needed help breathing ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Denver. The two Hall of Famers were not used to the high altitude of Denver, where the air is thin. They are certainly no longer the athletes they once were, so it's perhaps not surprising that they needed oxygen on Thursday night.
Barkley and Hill are covering the NBA Finals for NBA TV alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Matt Winer. During a break in the pre-game show, cameras caught the former All-Stars needing oxygen masks to perform their jobs.
It might have been a hilarious sight for some to see. Denver is 5,280 feet above sea level, which is the highest elevation among all NBA cities.
Here's the video of Charles Barkley and Grant Hill with the oxygen masks:
Charles Barkley and Grant Hill put on oxygen masks to beat the altitude 😂
https://t.co/959iZltOq9
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Charles Barkley has lost more than 60 pounds
Charles Barkley looked slimmer as the season progressed and it was very noticeable during the NBA TV pre-game broadcast before the Finals. Barkley revealed in a recent interview on the 'Pat McAfee Show' that he has lost more than 60 pounds with the help of his diet, exercise and weekly Mounjaro shots.
"I'm working out, I'm taking my shot once a week," Barkley said. "I started at 352 (pounds) and I'm down to 290. I'm starting to feel like a human being, not a fat ass anymore. ... My doctor told me, she says, 'There's a lot of fat young people. Ain't a lot of fat old people, they're all dead.'" (h/t People.com)
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Denver Nuggets take Game 1 of the NBA Finals
The Denver Nuggets were the first team in the win column of the 2023 NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to a 104-93 win in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. Jokic finished with another triple-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
"The Joker" had plenty of help with Jamal Murray putting up 26 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Aaron Gordon scored 12 of his 16 points in the first quarter to set up the pace of the game.
Meanwhile, for the Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for the Heat. Gabe Vincent contributed 19 points and five assists, while Haywood Highsmith added 18 points off the bench.
Eastern Conference finals heroes Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin struggled with just 13 and three points on the night, respectively.
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