Video: Charles Barkley gives eulogy at Moses Malone’s funeral
Charles Barkley gave the eulogy for former teammate Moses Malone on Saturday.
“I called Moses dad. I haven't called him Moses since 1985. Every time I saw him, I called him dad ... when I got to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984 we had a lot of tremendous older brothers on the team,” Barkley said, listing off his teammates. “But there was one guy, and to this day, I never understood why, who took me under his wing, and that was Moses.”
Barkley went on to discuss their relationship and remember Malone, who he said once motivated him by calling him “fat and lazy” when Barkley was a 300-pound rookie with Philadelphia and helping him get his career on track. The two once lived in the same building, and Malone was instrumental in Barkley's transformation into an NBA star.
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“Anybody who connected with him, you were a much better person,” Barkley said. He went on to express his honor at being chosen to speak, calling it bittersweet. “When the family asked me to speak today, it meant my dad was proud of me.”
Malone died at age 60from cardiovascular disease on Sept. 13.
The video, parts of which are censored for language, can be watched below.
Classic Sports Illustrated photos of Moses Malone
Classic SI Photos of Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Moses Malone and Mark Landsberger
Moses Malone, Robert Parish and Larry Bird
Moses Malone
Moses Malone and Jack Sikma
Julius Erving and Moses Malone
Moses Malone and 76ers mascot Big Shot
Howard Eskin, Moses Malone, Harold Katz and Billy Cunningham
Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Malone and Julius Erving
Moses Malone and Allen Leavell
Moses Malone and Bill Cartwright
Moses Malone and Billy Cunningham
Moses Malone and Bob Lanier
Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson
Moses Malone and Kurt Rambis
Moses Malone and Brent Musberger
Larry O'Brien, Moses Malone, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving and Harold Katz
Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Charles Barkley, Maurice Cheeks, Robert Parish, Larry Bird and Moses Malone
Patrick Ewing and Moses Malone
Moses Malone and Manute Bol
Moses Malone
- Jeremy Woo