Charles Barkley gave his props to retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban on Wednesday night during an ESPN2 telecast of the Crimson Tide’s basketball game at Auburn.
The former Auburn and NBA star talked about the rivalry between the schools, but his history with the Tigers did not stop him from heaping praise on both Alabama and Saban, who won six national championships in Tuscaloosa.
“Alabama is a great school,” Barkley said. “I’ve got nothing but admiration. They just lost the greatest college football coach ever in coach Saban, much love and respect for him.”
More: Celebrate Nick Saban’s coaching career with our special commemorative book
Barkley, a 6-foot-6 center from Leeds, played at Auburn from 1981-1984. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.6 rebounds in his collegiate career, earning All-America honors.
Now a television analyst for TNT and CBS, Barkley played in the NBA from 1984-2000 for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, winning an MVP award and being selected to the all-star game 11 times.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Charles Barkley said about Nick Saban’s retirement
