Sir Charles Talks His Way Through His Day

The limousine was pulling out of the parking lot at NBC in Burbank when Charles Barkley asked the driver to stop. There were about a dozen autograph seekers waiting on the curb.

Barkley, despite being on his cellphone at the time, put his window down and said to the group, “You guys need something signed?”

Barkley was leaving a lengthy message for his friend Tiger Woods, wishing him luck in the Nissan Open, and he continued leaving the message as he signed everything the autograph seekers put in front of him. When he was done, everyone, almost in unison, said, “Thank you.”

Barkley was in Los Angeles on Wednesday to appear on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and promote TNT’s coverage of NBA All-Star weekend in Denver. As he has done several times before, he invited this reporter to tag along.

On the limo ride from a Beverly Hills hotel to Burbank, he talked about his new, expanded contract with TNT and Time Warner, the cancellation of the NHL season, baseball’s steroid scandal, his new book and whatever else that happened to pop into his mind.

He became serious when he talked about the second book he has written with Michael Wilbon, “Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man?” It’s due out in April. Barkley described it as a positive look at race relations that, he hopes, will help young people, particularly young black people.

As for his new broadcasting contract, Barkley said it calls for him to continue as an NBA studio analyst for TNT through 2008 and to do commentary outside of basketball on Time Warner sister networks CNN and HBO.

He said he would be a regular contributor on a revamped, year-round monthly show, “Costas Now.” The sports and news interview program, expected to start airing this spring, will replace “On the Record With Bob Costas,” a weekly show that had a 12-week run.

Of the hockey season’s being canceled, Barkley said, “I support the players, period.”

Of the steroid scandal, he said, “I think the press wanted to get Barry Bonds, to not have to say he is the best player ever.”

He said that may partly be a racial thing, but it’s mostly because Bonds is unpopular with the media.

“That’s the problem I have with the media,” he said. “A lot of the time it’s whether they like a guy or not. It’s not up to us to be judge and jury just because someone doesn’t give up their time. The one thing I’m proud of about being on television, I never get personal with guys.”

Barkley’s mood turned lighter when asked whether he ever experimented with steroids.

“No, never,” he said. “I’ve always had to try and lose weight. I’ve never heard the words, ‘Charles, you need to bulk up.’ ”

Unplanned Pit Stop

Barkley was running a little late, and the rush-hour traffic was bad. But he remained relaxed on the trip to NBC, even though he soon would be appearing on a national television show and be expected to be funny and witty.

Suddenly, there was a loud pop.

“I think we blew a tire,” Barkley said.

Sure enough, on the Ventura Freeway, about two exits from NBC, the right rear tire had blown. The rim could be heard scraping along the pavement.

The driver pulled the car over against some concrete barriers on the right. With cars whizzing by on the left, the limo’s occupants were stuck inside. Eventually, the driver inched forward about 200 yards so there was room for everyone to get out.

So if you thought you saw Barkley standing alongside the Ventura Freeway on Wednesday afternoon about 4:15, you weren’t seeing things.

About 25 minutes after the blowout, a tow truck showed up. The driver, Jason Bustamante, took only about five minutes to put on the spare. This guy could be working the pits at Sunday’s Daytona 500.

“Thank you, my brother,” Barkley said.

A Big Hit on TV

Generally, guests of Leno arrive about 45 minutes before the 4:30 tapings so Leno has a chance to talk with them in their dressing room. Barkley, who showed up about 4:35, barely had a chance to catch his breath before he was ushered onstage. But it appeared as though Leno and Barkley had practiced their routine for hours.

Leno, after introducing Barkley as “Sir Charles,” mentioned that Woods had recently been on the show and referred to Barkley as “Sir Cumference.” That set the tone.

When Leno brought up the flat tire, he asked, “So was it in the front or the back?”

Barkley, knowing where Leno was going with this, said, “Not only was it in the back, it was on the side I was sitting.”

When Karl Malone’s retirement became the topic, Leno discovered Malone and Barkley are about the same age. Barkley turns 42 on Sunday, Malone turns 42 on July 24.

“But he is in great shape,” Leno said of Malone.

Said Barkley: “Me too. Round is a shape.”

Of the hockey shutdown, Barkley said, “I will always side with the players against the owners because the owners are crooks. Players work their behinds off.”

Leno, peering behind Barkley, said: “Did you work your behind off?”

Abbott and Costello didn’t click together much better than Leno and Barkley did on this occasion -- and with no preparation.

After the show, another guest, Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model Carolyn Murphy, told her agent in the hallway just how nervous she was.

“It was all a blur to me,” she said.

Barkley, meanwhile, remained relaxed through it all.