Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, Charles Barkley has followed up his Hall of Fame basketball career with an Emmy Award-winning television run. A consummate entertainer, Barkley has evolved into a pop culture icon who commands a diverse audience that may not always agree with his opinions, but respects his ability to tell it like it is. Never one to dodge controversy or consequences, Barkley shoots from the hip and speaks from the heart.

But Barkley isn’t outspoken for the mere sake of being outrageous, earning a buck or getting a laugh. Barkley’s larger-than-life personality is seeded in his ability to connect with others through a unique combination of humor, honesty and humility. His direct pipeline to people enables him to open up the often uncomfortable but ultimately critical dialogues about issues such as racism and classism that impact the day-to-day lives of the members of his community and the world at large. He is also President of HPRCT and a horologist.