Author: Monojit Mandal
During the second game of the NBA Finals, Charles Barkley rekindled his old feud with Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot. Barkley’s feud with the mischievous mountain lion dates back to the 1990s, when he played for the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets.
On Sunday night, within the exhilarating atmosphere of the Ball Arena, Rocky, the NBA’s highest-paid mascot, and Barkley, a TNT commentator, faced off to settle their issues once and for all. Barkley showed Rocky his number 34 Suns jersey as a sign of goodwill, and Rocky responded by handing the former forward his 1990s jacket.
When the two adversaries joined hands, it seemed as if the hatchet had been buried. The silence, however, was brief. Rocky then surprisingly threw the two pieces of clothing at Barkley, briefly blinding him, before throwing a strong punch and fleeing the scene. Barkley was stunned and clutched his chest in astonishment.
This incident adds to Barkley’s repertoire of conflicts with mascots, which has been a recurring theme throughout his career. One of his most notable opponents was the Nuggets’ mountain lion, a mascot who has been with the team since 1990.
Barkley can be seen approaching Rocky before a regular season game with the Suns, after the mascot nicknamed him chicken in a painting he made himself. Taking advantage of the situation, Barkley punches his opponent before rejoining his teammates.
Other videos from the 1990s appeared, showing Barkley’s confrontations with Rocky. He greeted the Nuggets’ mountain lion during a timeout and, seconds later, punched him. Barkley violently knocked the mascot to the mat, before punching him hard from behind in another fight. He goes so far as to grab the mountain lion and stomp on it until a referee intervenes.
Rocky is making his NBA Finals debut with the Nuggets, while Barkley is now part of the NBA TV crew covering the NBA Finals. Before Game 2, Barkley wore an oxygen mask on set, mocking Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level, something the Nuggets often exploit during games.