"I'll put a statue of you at my house": When Charles Barkley made a bold promise to Nick Saban after asking for golf lessons

Charles Barkley made a name for himself well before becoming an NBA analyst beside Shaquille O'Neal. Barkley was a standout basketball player at Auburn and then for three teams in the pros. He was the NBA's MVP for the 1992-93 season and was included on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

On the links, though, Barkley has had his ups and downs. During a one-on-one conversation in 2016 with the then-Alabama football coach Nick Saban, the NBA legend admitted:

"I don't like talking about golf. Golf is not my favorite. The only thing good about golf is drinking and smoking." (1:58)

Charles Barkley's complicated relationship with golf was born out of regression, which he dealt with after taking part in too many lessons. His swing, golf coach Stan Utley said, was one of the worst he'd worked with. Saban believed that Barkley could find his groove, though.

"Maybe, but as good an athlete as you are, if you wanted to be, you could be a really good player," Saban said. "You could get it fixed, you could be a really good player. I will believe that till the day I die."

Saban's compliment resonated with Charles Barkley, who joked about what he'd do if Saban helped him get better.

"Well, let me tell you this," Barkley said. "You know I think you're an amazing coach. If you can fix my golf game, I'll put a statue of you at my house. Because I've tried everything to fix my golf game and nothing seems to work.

"But if you, as great a coach as you are, if you can fix my golf game, any time you come to Arizona, there will be a statue of you outside my house."

Why did Charles Barkley struggle with golf?

Golf is a tough game to pick up on, with a lot more intricacies than might appear at first. It's just as much a mental game as it is physical, and it probably didn't help that Barkley was made fun of for his swing.

According to golf coach Milo Lines, Barkley's swing had noticeable issues. Lines claimed that Barkley's swing was "unfixable" and that playing in high-profile events made it worse.

"Every Charles Barkley golf swing seemed to contain a noticeable hitch (or multiple full-body pumps) to begin his down swing, concluding with a big stand up into the ball," he wrote. "Even his good shots in the past were not so stellar, and the pressure and anxiety he faced from his (peers), being on Golf Channel and the news, playing in a golf match, and partaking in celebrity golf events seemed to further fuel his poor play."

Barkley eventually broke through, however, and enjoys playing golf these days.