University of Miami Basketball Coach Has a Go at Charles Barkley and His Threat to Take Off His Shirt if Auburn Won
Sports teams are always more motivated when they are playing for a larger purpose. And to hear Miami basketball coach Jim Larranaga tell it, his squad had a very important mission ahead of their contest Sunday night: Keep the world from having to see Charles Barkley shirtless.
During the CBS coverage of March Madness Sunday, Barkley — an Auburn University alum — said he might remove his top if his alma mater defeated Miami Sunday night.
“If we win tonight, I might take my shirt off,” Barkley said.
“What did you just say?” CBS colleague Ernie Johnson asked him.
“I’m gonna be Kelvin Sampson tonight,” Barkley said — referring to the University of Houston coach who removed his shirt after his team’s victory earlier in the day. Barkley added, “I might consider taking my shirt off.”
Jim Larranaga with the shot at Charles Barkley 💀😂😂
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) March 21, 2022
Coach Larranaga, it turned out, saw Barkley’s threat pledge. And in the postgame news conference after his squad beat Auburn 79-61, the coach jokingly cited it as a reason his team needed to win.
“I was tuned into the games before us,” Larranaga said. “And I listened to Charles Barkley tell the CBS crew that if Auburn won he would take off his shirt. And I thought to myself, ‘Man, no one wants to see that, Chuck.'”
Watch above via CBS and Twitter.
