Barkley impresses at Tahoe golf tournament, analyzes Phoenix Suns offseason

Barkley impresses at Tahoe golf tournament, analyzes Phoenix Suns offseason

After carding a first round that placed him in the top-25 at the American Century Championship celebrity tournament in Tahoe, California, Charles Barkley spoke with 12Sports about a host of subjects.

He credited his transformed golf game to living in Phoenix and applauded the Phoenix Suns for extending Devin Booker.

Below is a Q&A of the conversation. 

Q: I saw the video, the hole out on two for eagle. You had that ball on a string. What kind of statement was that for you to start the tournament?

A: That's the best shot I've ever hit in my life...

Living in Phoenix, I get to play a lot of golf. I'm never leaving Phoenix until I'm dead. I love living in Phoenix. I get a chance to play a lot. Shout out to my man Dan Majerle, who's my partner. I've been working my behind off. Today was probably the best I've ever played in my life, to be honest with you.

Q: Let's transition into some specifically Phoenix Suns topics here. Super busy offseason for them. Most recently, the Devin Booker contract extension. What are your thoughts on Booker solidifying his future here in Phoenix?

A: Well, Devin's a great player. I'm happy he got paid. He's great for the city of Phoenix. He's great for the Suns. Everything about him is great, but man, they got their hands full because the West is crazy with Kevin Durant going to Houston, the Nuggets got better, but OKC, they're the team to beat. (The Suns are) in the rebuilding stage and they're gonna have to be patient.

Q: I want to touch on Durant here in a second, but going back to Booker really quick, one of six active players with ten-plus years on the team that drafted that player. Does loyalty mean something in today's NBA or not necessarily if the championships don't come with it?

A: Well, everybody wants to win the championship, but it's not a birthright to win a championship. It's very difficult to win the championship. I was not fortunate enough... The biggest regret I probably have, I wasn't able to bring the Suns a championship. That's probably the biggest regret of my life from a basketball standpoint. I would love to see the Suns win a championship. But they're not close right now, but I look forward to watching Devin Booker play every night.

Q: Going back to the KD trade, a lot of us here in Phoenix and around the league thought that it was inevitable. Did you feel like the Suns got enough in return, the 3 draft picks. And then the two players from Houston?

A: They were really in an awkward situation because KD only had one year left on his contract, so they had to trade him. They weren't going to get a ton because KD probably wouldn't have signed with that team... They got the best they could. You got to hope Jalen (Green) matures and grows into the player. He's got a ton of talent. He's got a ton of talent, but he's still a young kid. The coach is going to be important with those young kids they got. They're rebuilding and that's all you can (do is) just be patient.

Q: Speaking of the rebuild, the three draft picks that they got as a result of the KD trade, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, what do you think of their games? How much do you know of those three guys?

A: All I know about is the kid from Duke. I'm a big fan of his. When I'm getting ready for March Madness, I was like, wow, this kid's got a bright future. He's a little raw. He hasn't been playing basketball that long, but I tell you what, I think the Suns should be excited about him.

Q: We'll get you out of here with this. Obviously a new look next year for Inside the NBA on ESPN. How do you feel about where things stand with that here on July 11th?

A: Yeah, great question. I'm excited about the ESPN thing because they're the greatest sports network in sports history. We don't know what the future holds, how the show is gonna work. It's going to be interesting. It's going to be an honor to work for ESPN, but I can't lie to you, we don't know, brother. It's going to be fascinating. We're going to be learning as we go. We hope the show stays the same. But we don't know.

Arizona sports 

The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.

Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.

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