One of Arizona’s greatest legends made his return to the desert tonight.
11-time NBA All-Star Charles Barkley was in attendance for tonight’s game between the Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Barkley, who spent four seasons as a member of the Phoenix Suns, was invited to drop the puck ahead of the game at Gila River Arena.
Barkley had the opportunity to shake hands with ‘Yotes assistant captain Niklas Hjalmarsson and Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, but one of his more memorable encounters of the evening came when he and Chicago superstar Patrick Kane shared a nice little fist bump.
Nothing but respect from these two American legends.
Barkley serves as a basketball analyst for TNT but has taken an interest in hockey in the past. Last year during the Golden State Warrior’s convincing title run, he expressed a lack of interest in the NBA playoffs and commented on how exciting the NHL postseason was.
Barkley’s presence served as a spark for the Coyotes, as they cruised to a convincing 6-1 win over their Western Conference foe. Judging by how dominant the Warriors have been this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hall of Famer appear at a few more games come Spring time. Unfortunately for him, it probably won't be in Arizona.
(H/T Arizona Coyotes, Larry Hawley)
