“That is just incredible” - Charles Barkley wholeheartedly lauds Candace Parker for peerless WNBA career

NBA legend Charles Barkley was all praise for former WNBA and Las Vegas star Candace Parker. The forward joined TNT for a segment after she was named the president of Adidas' women's basketball.

That comes after Parker had announced her retirement from the sport after taking the court for over two decades. The 38-year-old is one of the game's most decorated athletes, winning NCAA titles at Tennessee in 2007 and 2008 before being drafted as the No. 1 in the 2008 WNBA draft.

She also won championships with the LA Sparks, her hometown team Chicago Sky (2021), and the Aces (2023), becoming the first player in WNBA history to win titles with three different teams.

Barkley was lavish in his praise for Parker during his interaction with her:

"Hey Candace, you're just an awesome person. It's an honor and a pleasure to get to know you. What you've accomplished ... damn. Man, that is just incredible."

Her new role will see Candace Parker work with WNBA stars associated with the German sports giant overseeing the products and the branding.

The relationship between the two dates back to 2008 when Adidas inked a deal with her after her first season in the league. Parker became the first female athlete to get her signature sneaker in 2010, with another version coming out a year later.

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Candace Parker gets candid calling time on her stellar career

A decorated career was hampered by injuries in the final stages, which played a major role in Candace Parker making her decision to retire. She cited playing with pain was no fun when she called time on her career on Instagram.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time.

"My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it. It's no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it's no fun knowing what you could do, if only ... it's no fun hearing 'she isn't the same' when I know why, it's no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN."

Candace Parker ended her stint in the WNBA as a two-time league MVP (2008, 2013), a 10x All-WNBA selection, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year (2020) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012).