Charles Barkley gets Predators fans pumped up for Game 4 (Video)

Charles Barkley is as excited about hockey as he’s ever been about anything. 

The 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been great and unforgettable. Many fans have tuned in to see if the Pittsburgh Penguins can repeat as champions or if the Nashville Predators can win their first title in franchise history. Some fans have been won over by hockey. One of them happens to be one of the greatest basketball players ever — Charles Barkley.

Currently the “Round Mound of Rebound” is a studio analyst for NBA On TNT. During a basketball game he was covering, Sir Charles admitted his love for hockey to the world. Barkley is famous for running his mouth and saying ridiculous stuff he doesn’t believe, but Chuck isn’t ashamed to admit he loves the NHL, showing up to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Barkley even got excited, pumping up Predators fans during the first period.

https://twitter.com/NHLonNBCSports/status/871895218961829888

When’s the last time you saw Sir Charles smile as a studio analyst? Exactly. The “please like my sport” people probably aren’t too happy, but hockey seems to have won Barkley over. And who can blame him? The NHL is fast and exciting. It’s certainly better than covering a rather boring and unexciting NBA Playoffs.

A huge reason for hockey’s popularity has been Nashville. It’s a southern city that has fallen in love with the winter sport. Nashville is about as far from a traditional hockey market as you can get. Heck, they throw catfish on the ice. And not just normal ones. They smash cars with the opponent’s logo on it. But you know what? That appeals to a lot of people. People who usually wouldn’t be interested in hockey. It might sound weird, but it works.

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Barkley, sadly, must go on and cover the rest of the NBA Finals after tonight. But at least now he can proudly say he went home and watched some hockey.