"I cried the whole time": Charles Barkley recalls how "flunking in Spanish" led to one of his saddest childhood memories

Charles Barkley became a basketball star on the court and is now one of the most famous sports analysts on TV. However, he almost never got a chance to begin his illustrious career.

Barkley appeared on “60 Minutes” and recounted some of his early memories. He revealed one of his saddest moments as a youth back in high school.

“I cried the whole time,” Barkley said. “Even now it hits me kinda hard a little bit. Man, what a traumatic night that was.”

Barkley was discussing the night he missed his high school graduation because he flunked in Spanish. He was forced to watch his friends celebrate the end of their high school journey from a distance behind a chain-link fence.

“I flunked Spanish so I didn’t graduate. I was at home all by myself devastated,” Barkley said. “So then I drove to the stadium and parked around the back. I stood there by myself for two hours and watched the graduation.”

Catch Barkley's comments from the 6:13 mark in the below video:

It is a memory that he will never forget. Crying on the bleachers and watching the celebration was not the only memory Barkley has not let go. Does he remember the name of that Spanish teacher that flunked him?

“Ms. Gomez, I will never forget that,” Barkley said. “She was one of the sweetest, kindest people I had ever met in my life. But at that moment, I was so mad because I wanted to throw my hat in the air at graduation too.”

Barkley channeled that anger from that day into his basketball career. It motivated him.

“I was playing to stick it to my dad, Ms. Gomez and some of the kids that made fun of me,” Barkley added.

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Charles Barkley as a high school prospect

The Hall of Famer was not always destined for hardwood success. His junior year in the high school team involved a lot of watching from the bench.

“I was 5-foot-10, big-boned, not fat, chubby, whatever word you want to use. I was a 5-10, back up point guard,” Barkley said of his junior year in the high school.

However, a six-inch growth burst (6-foot-4) helped Barkley to earn a starting position at Leeds High School. Barkley finally gained attention, when he scored 26 points in the high school semi-finals against Alabama University.

Barkley eventually graduated with the help of summer school. He then went on to play college basketball at Auburn University where he quickly became a star.

Barkley then earned his nickname of the “The Round Mound of Rebound”. He continued his prowess on the glass and became the shortest man to lead the NBA in rebounding for a season.