Charles Barkley is a piece of work. The NBA Hall of Famer has always been a character, and his family has learned that firsthand. Recently, the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns legend revealed one of the biggest stories of his life.
Talking with Ernie Johnson on “The Steam Room,” Barkley talked about his daughter, Christiana, and the curious origin of her name. That’s a very good name for a girl, but Chuck revealed he got it from one of his favorite spots.
The NBA on TNT analyst told the story of how his daughter was named after a mall located off Interstate 95 near Newark, Delaware.
Charles: “Well she’s named after a mall, in fairness. There’s a Christiana Mall in Delaware that I used to always go by. That’s how she got her name, Christiana.”
Ernie: “You named her after a mall? Why?”
Charles: “I don’t know, I just liked the mall.”
Well, everybody has a reason to name their kids, and not everybody gets the same name as their parents. Sometimes you see people combining two names or creating one related to another, but it’s hard to find somebody saying they got it from a mall. The bright side is that it was a nice name and Christiana looks great, but the origins are eyebrow-raising, as Ernie showed.
Charles is one of a kind. First, he was the NBA’s bad boy, starring in plenty of controversies. Now, he’s one of the funniest analysts out there. Chuck has become a beloved figure thanks to his opinions and jokes on TNT. Even though he’s hinted retirement is getting closer, fans wouldn’t enjoy the shows the same without him.
