2009 Black History Month: Favorite Black TV Characters (#19)

By: Luke Florence

My Favorite Black TV Characters

#19 - February 10th - Charles Barkley - "Inside the NBA"

As many of you know by now, this is not the first list I've made. Far from it. But, it is only the second list I have posted here at King of Arguments. The first one, which began during our initial start-up days, consisted of my favorite all-time sport figures. Charles Barkley, who came in at #33 on that list, is the only one who appears on both. It's for good reason, as Sir Charles deserves the recognition. He is certainly one of a kind.

Inside the NBA is one of my favorite current television shows. The chemistry between Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Chuck is unrivaled. Don't be fooled though, Charles Barkley is the key ingredient in this mixture. Whether it be Ernie and Kenny poking fun at Chuck, Barkley saying something off-the-cuff, or even insightful NBA analysis, the round mound of rebound is at the center of its' success.

The best part of Inside the NBA is all the crazy things that take place. They are always up on current events, and try to add their own unique twist. Just recently, Charles was on set when he got a pair of shoes thrown at him, mocking George Bush. Also, when David Blaine held his breath for more than seven minutes, Chuck was citing how easy that was to do, so they let him have a go at it. Whatever it is, it's always genius, and it's always hilarious.

Most people do not know that Charles Barkley is an Emmy-award winning color commentator for TNT, and Inside the NBA has won several Emmy awards as well. The show, as we are witnessing at this current point, is just not the same without Charles. I mean, how else are they going to play the classic game, "Who he play for?" if Chuck isn't around?

Anytime Charles is on TV, it's a must-watch situation. My all-time favorite Charles Barkley/TV situation occurred, when Ernie played an "Anchorman"-like prank on poor Chuck. It is a must watch.

I've been a big fan of Sir Charles for as long as I've followed sports. I hope he comes back in time for this weekend's All-Star festivities, because they would lack severely if Chuck is not on air laughing at Damon Jones' suit selection.

Okay, that's enough from me. Please check out Barnes' blog (over on my sidebar) to see how he reacts to my selections.

Hint for #18: This character used to be on a hit NBC show, and now he is on another.

Until tomorrow, "read it, roll it, hole it."