Charles Barkley has been a staple of CBS’s television coverage of the men’s NCAA Tournament and the Final Four for years, often appearing on location at the semifinals and national championship game.
This year, his trip there was just a little more personal. The NBA legend and former Auburn basketball star got the opportunity to watch his beloved Tigers compete inside the Alamodome in San Antonio Saturday against Florida, with a spot in the NCAA title game on the line.
Unfortunately for Barkley, that only put him in closer proximity to the pain of watching coach Bruce Pearl’s team fall to the Gators 79-73 in a game that Auburn led by eight at halftime. While sporting his school’s colors, with a blue three-piece suit and an orange tie, Barkley’s various anguished expressions were caught by CBS cameras over the course of the game.
Here’s a look at various shots of Barkley during Auburn’s loss.
“The best team won,” Barkley said on the CBS broadcast after the game. “Our guys played valiantly. It was a heck of a game. I’m so proud of our team and coach Pearl and those kids. I’m disappointed, but Florida was the better team.”
There is some good news for Barkley, though. Even though his team’s dreams of its first national championship have been extinguished, he gets to spend the next three days in San Antonio, a city of which he’s famously fond.