Braving a bold new frontier with Charles Barkley on the subway

Charles Barkley attracted more than a fair number of gawkers while taking the subway for the first time.

Richard Deitsch/SI

4:37 p.m. Barkley heads inside the arena via a private exit. Normally a studio force for TNT's Inside The NBA, he will work the TNT broadcast tonight with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. About half an hour after he enters the building, while sitting in a green room, Tara August, VP of talent services for Turner Sports, tells him that Nelson Mandela has passed away. A couple of minutes earlier, Barkley had told me that while he doesn't feel compelled to be on television every day, he does like that sports affords him the opportunity to speak on issues that go beyond it. Here is what he said on Mandela.