"Shoutout to Dabo Swinney": NBA legend Charles Barkley makes hilarious error congratulating wrong Clemson HC after Tigers' Sweet 16 win
NBA legend Charles Barkley made a hilarious error on live television by congratulating Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney instead of basketball coach Brad Brownell in the Tigers' 77-72 upset of the Arizona Wildcats in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Friday night.
Barkley, who currently works as a basketball analyst for TNT and CBS Sports, hailed No. 6 seed Clemson for playing well against No. 2 Arizona and gave a shoutout to Swinney instead of Brownell.
"Clemson played very well tonight, shoutout to Dabo Swinney,” said the former NBA Most Valuable Player.
Surprisingly, his co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith did not correct Barkley's error on live TV.
Fans react to Charles Barkley's live TV gaffe
The college basketball world took notice of the NBA great's error, with one user joking that Swinney got tired of football and decided to try out basketball.
Another quipped about the 54-year-old football mentor coaching a lot of sports, including basketball.
A user clarified that Johnson noticed Barkley's gaffe but wondered why Kellogg and Smith did not correct the Hall of Famer.
Other fans took it differently.
Currently, the tweet generated more than 6,900 views.
Also Read: Former Guardians GM Terry Francona and Wildcats star Richard Jefferson show up to Clemson vs. Arizona Sweet 16 clash
Clemson upsets Arizona to arrange Elite Eight meeting with Alabama
Clemson clinched a ticket to the Elite Eight when they outclassed Arizona, 77-72. The Tigers' victory arranged a matchup against Alabama on Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena.
The No. 4 seed Crimson Tide shocked top seed North Carolina Tar Heels, 89-87.
Clemson guard Chase Hunter expressed happiness with his team's victory but admitted they have more work to do.
“It sounds great. But we’ve got more work to do,” said Hunter, who finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, including a game-clinching three-point play with 25 seconds remaining.
When asked about their upcoming match against Clemson, Alabama coach Nate Oats pledged they would go back to work and find ways to win against the Tigers.
"Clemson's good. Clemson beat us at our place. We've got to get locked in. ... I told the guys they can celebrate for 30 minutes. As soon as we get the media out of the locker room, we're on to Clemson," Oats said.
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